No Matter Who Does It, Abuse Still Hurts
by Mokie K
Summary: My first fanfic :D A dedication to an unlikely and yet adorable coupling.
1. Chapter 1

My bare feet pounded the cold, wet pavement. Icy cold rain hit my naked skin, stinging it like a thousand electric needles. Tonight, after many failed escapes, I was finally free.

I could hear a motorcycle engine revving and felt my heart quicken-- he knew. Desperately I looked around for a place to hide. I began running up to houses, trying to open doors. Finally I found one that was unlocked, and I took the chance. Bolting inside, I shut the door and locked it, leaning against it as the motorcycle got closer.... and then drove right past where I was hidden.

Letting out the breath I'd been holding, I shivered and folded my arms across my bare chest as I looked around at the place I had taken refuge in. The décor was..... different, to say the least. It screamed heavy Egyptian...... I found it rather comforting.

A light flicked on upstairs. My heart sank. Someone was home. I decided not to make things worse for myself and remained in view of whomever was coming down the large staircase in the hallway. Another light flicked on, this time illuminating the doorway-- and me.

"What are you doing here, silver hikari?" A rather cold voice asked. How did he know I was a hikari....?

"I-I, um....." I stuttered, trying to find the words to explain my predicament. But before I could, I was pinned to the wall with a hand enclosed around my throat.

"I asked you a question." The person hissed.

"I-I'm sorry!" I gasped as the air was cut away from me. "I-I had to escape from my yami!" Darkness began to gather at the corners of my eyes from the lack of oxygen..... and then suddenly I was on the floor, gasping for air and rubbing my now bruised neck.

"You escaped from your yami." The person said. "Tell me." He knelt down beside me and grabbed a handful of my long, silver hair, yanking on it hard. "What kind of predicament would cause you to feel the need to escape?"

I didn't want to tell him.... I was ashamed of it. But when I didn't answer, he yanked on my hair again.

"ANSWER ME."

"I-I was being beaten!" I whimpered. I saw his expression change-- but only slightly. "E-every day." I added. My body agreed with my story; it was covered in new and old bruises, fresh and healing cuts. "A-And I was his slave..... h-his dog."

The person released my hair and stood up. "Let me get this straight." He said, his face unreadable as he looked down at my cowering form. "Your yami treated you like an animal and you ran away."

"Th-that's it...." I said rather weakly.

"Pathetic." The word, said with such malice, made me flinch. ".......But...... if you are willing to follow my word, without complaint, without question, as if it were the laws laid down by God himself...... I will allow you to stay here. I will shelter you. But ONLY..... ONLY if you obey me without fail."

"Y-Yes." I said. "I'll do anything, anything!"

The person smirked. "Very well then." The next thing I knew, a coat was thrown onto me. "Wear that. Until you have proven yourself, that is your only possession. And I reserve the right to take it."

"Y-Yes sir...."

"Marik."

"Wh-what?"

"None of this 'sir' business. It's Marik-sama, Master Marik, or simply Master. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, Master....."

"Good. Now go find a corner to sleep in."

"Yes, Master......"


	2. Master Has Schizophrenia

Sunshine shone onto my face, waking me from my troubled sleep. For a few minutes, I was confused. Something was covering my body.... and then I remembered. I sat up and looked around. Yes, I was still at my new master's house. By the looks of the rising sun, it was just past 7 or 8 in the morning.

Getting to my feet, I held the coat close to my battered body and began to search for a bathroom. Footsteps behind me made me freeze.

"Good morning, silver hikari." It was my master.

"G-Good morning, master." I said. Immediately I was slapped across the face.

"You will bow when addressing me." He snarled. I was stunned, holding the cheek that he'd hit. "Now let's try that again. Good morning, silver hikari."

"......" I swallowed and knelt before him. "Good morning, master...." I whispered, blinking back tears.

"That's a good boy." He actually helped me back up. "Now tell me what you were doing."

"L-Looking for a bathroom..."

He smirked. "I have a special bathroom prepared for you." He grabbed my wrist in an iron grip and began pulling me through the house. Fear took hold of me. What did he mean by special? It must be horrid.....

He opened a door and thrust me inside. I blinked and looked around. It wasn't horrid at all-- it was nice and clean, and was equipped with a shining toilet and a bathtub built into the floor. I looked at him and blinked in confusion.

"Th-this is.... mine?"

"Didn't I tell you not to question me?" He smirked. "I'm not always so cruel, silver one." He began to walk away.

".....Thank you, master!" I called after him, then turned back to my bathroom. I felt oh so lucky. Taking full advantage of this luxury, I ran a hot bath and slid down into the water. Dried blood washed from my body. I sighed, relaxing for the first time in a long time.

Not long after, however, he returned and leaned against the doorway. "Get out, silver hikari." He said. "You have things to do."

"Y-Yes, master." I climbed from the warm heaven and grabbed a fluffy towel from the counter, wrapping it around myself. I looked to my master, waiting for him to leave. But he did no such thing.

"Tick tock, silver one." He said, smirking."You're wasting my valuable time just standing there. Do I need to take that coat from you?"

"N-No, master." I said. Swallowing, I dried myself off and pulled the coat on.

"That's a good boy. Now follow me." He led me into his kitchen. "Here. Learn every recipe in this book." He threw me a battered Egyptian cookbook. "I expect you to make me whatever I say without asking me what it is."

"Yes master." I said, looking at the thick hardback.

"For now, just make me some coffee. I have many things to do." I hurried to do what he said, eager not to lose the only possession I had. When I brought him the steaming cup, he reached out to take it.... and then patted my head.

"Good boy." He said. "I think you've earned something." I blinked. He went into his room and brought me two items, actually-- a pair of boxers and a pair of black leather skinnies. "Put those on."

"Yes master." I did so. The clothes fit surprisingly well. He looked me over, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Mm.... I rather like you in those." He said. "You may go back to your corner. And take that book with you."

"Yes master." I did this, sitting cross-legged in my spot and opening the book. I heard keys jingling and looked in time to see him grabbing the car keys to a Lamborghini. "Master, where are you going?"

"Do not ask questions, silver one." He responded. "Or I'll have to punish you." And with those happy words, he left. I was completely alone now.... I could escape if I wanted. But I knew if I did, I would be a sitting duck for my yami. And so I stayed, pouring over the cookbook, as it was my only source of entertainment.

Not too long after, he returned-- covered in blood. My eyes widened. "Master, where were you--" Before I could even finish the sentence, I received a swift kick to my stomach.

"What did I say about asking questions?" He asked calmly, watching me curl up in pain. "Now the coat is gone." He reached down and pulled it from me. I looked up at him, my eyes filling with tears. "You may earn this back." He said, walking away. I just let my head fall, beginning to cry. I didn't know who was worse-- my yami, or my master.


	3. He Loves Me, He Hates Me?

A few days passed, and I had learned quickly never to try and predict the outcome of my actions. Master had a habit of switching reactions lightning fast. Today, luckily, he'd been in an unusually good mood. He finally gave me my coat back, and a shirt as well.

"Silver hikari." He called from his room. I hurried to answer his call.

"Yes, master?" I said, poking my head into the room.

"Bring me my shoes. I'm going somewhere."

"Yes, master." I got his shoes and held them out to him. I then received a harsh uppercut to my chin. I stumbled backwards, my mind reeling. What had I done wrong this time?

"You will bow when presenting your master with something." He said calmly. "Now try it again."

Seeing stars, I got on my knees before him and held out the shoes.

"Good boy." He took them and put them on, standing up. "Now get out of my room." He said, patting my head. "You have my permission to use your bathroom."

"Thank you, master..." I said, looking down.

"Silver one."

"Yes, master?"

"What did I say about speaking to me?"

".....Always look at you?"

"And what are you not doing?"

"Looking at you?"

"So what should you do?"

…..I looked at him.

"There you go. Now say it again."

"Thank you master...."

He patted my head again. "You may forget things easily, but you're a good listener." The praise felt weird..... but nice at the same time. He walked out of his room, and I followed.

"Master, when can I leave the house?" It was an innocent question-- I had no intention of escaping. I just wanted a breath of fresh air. But I knew I should have kept quiet the moment I finished the sentence. Master pinned me against the wall, holding my arms above my head.

"How many times have I told you not to ask questions?" He asked, obviously irritated with my constant breaking of this rule. "Why would you want to leave? I took you in, gave you shelter, food, clothes-- you make me sick, you ungrateful son of a pig." I flinched at his harsh words, turning my head away.

What happened next sent shivers down my spine. I felt something warm and wet rub against my cheek. "But I'm willing to forgive you, silver one. I won't even take any possessions away. " I looked at him, not turning my head however. I then realized what he was doing-- licking my cheek with a long, snake-like tongue.

And suddenly, he released me. I slumped down, wiping the saliva from my face disgustedly. "Now you be a good boy and go back to your corner. Your only punishment is that you cannot leave that corner for anything until I say so. Understand?"

"Yes, master....." I said, making sure to look at him as I said it. He patted my head once more and walked away. I reluctantly returned to my corner-- and found a pillow and blanket placed there. Blinking, I turned to look at my master.... but I found myself alone. "......." I plopped down onto the floor and curled up. I was so confused.

As I sat there, wallowing in my self pity, I didn't notice the front door open and close. Nor did I notice someone else was in the room until a shadow fell over me.

"Hello, hikari."


	4. Taking Things Into My Own Hands

"Hello, hikari." The voice made my blood run cold. I was frozen with fear, unable to move or make a sound.

"You know, it's rude to ignore people." I was yanked up and pinned face first against the wall. "Hasn't Marik taught you manners?"

"H-How did you find me?" I managed to squeak out. A cold laugh rang out.

"My dear hikari...." He whispered into my ear, making me shudder. "I can always find you, no matter where you are...." I felt a hand slip into my shirt and tried to squirm free of his grasp Instead, I felt hot breath against my neck. "You can't escape me, Ryou...."

Cold fingers rubbed at my nipples. My body betrayed me as my back arched slightly. He chuckled. "Little man-slut, aren't you?" He licked the skin on my neck. I shivered again.

"Am I to assume that you were about to molest my houseguest?" It was master! I was hoping to be released, but instead the motions on my chest continued.

"Assume whatever you want, Marik. He's mine, I can do as I please to him."

"I don't think so, Bakura. He's mine now." Without warning I was released. I turned around and saw master with his hand around Bakura's throat, his Sennen Rod with the blade unsheathed pressed against Bakura's face. "And no one touches what belongs to me." He began digging the tip of the blade into Bakura's flesh. And I felt a twinge of guilt-- I couldn't let master kill my yami, as much as I despised him.

"Master, please forgive him!' I begged, grabbing his arm and pulling it away from Bakura's face. "Please let him go!" Instantly the blade was turned on me, slicing into the skin of my chest. Blood spurted from the open wound, and still I did not let go.

"He will not be spared." Master hissed, throwing me off of his arm. I fell onto the sofa. As I looked up, I could see Bakura's face contorted with pain. Master was still choking him, and I knew he had only seconds left. I had to do something drastic.

Jumping up, I leapt onto Master and wrenched the Rod from his grasp. His face took on a strange expression: a mixture of shock, anger and maybe a little bit of amazement. I jumped back and pointed the orb end at him.

"Let him go, or I'll send you to the shadow realm!" I said, unable to hide the shakiness of my voice.

Master and Bakura just looked at me.... and then they both began to laugh.

"Ah, you know, if I wasn't so severely pissed at you, I might let things slide." Master said, dropping Bakura and advancing towards me. I began backing away, the Rod shaking in my grasp. "But now you'll have to be punished most severely." I backed myself up against the far wall and swallowed, knowing I was cornered. Master got closer... then stopped, dropping to the ground. Bakura was standing behind him, panting with his neck bruised, holding a lamp. The base was spattered with Master's blood. My eyes widened.

"Now let's get going." Bakura said, dropping the vase and walking towards me. He grabbed my wrist hard, and I panicked, stabbing at him with the Rod's blade. I got his arm and he released me, backing away with a hiss.

"Tch, fine. You'll come crawling back." He left. Shaking uncontrollably, I dropped the Rod and ran to my fallen Master. He was barely conscious. "Master! Master, say something!"

"I'll..... kill him....." He muttered, slipping into unconsciousness.


	5. Changing For Better Or Worse

~~~Marik's P.O.V.~~~

'Damn, my head hurts..... what the hell happened...? I remember seeing that bastard Bakura with his hand up the hikari's shirt...... choking him..... the silver one taking the rod...... but what happened after that....?'

I heard sniffling and struggled to open my eyes. Managing to get them open a little, I saw the silver one kneeling beside me. I was on my bed. And my head felt like something was wrapped around it. Anger welled up in my chest. The little bastard took my rod!.... and then I realized he was crying. The hell was he crying for?

I tried to make a sound, but my body refused to let me do anything except lie there and breathe. I was silently fuming. I noticed the hikari reaching over and stroking my hair. What was up with him?!

"Please..... wake up, Master...." He whispered in a surprisingly choked up voice. Confusion overtook the anger. What was he so upset about? "I'm sorry...... please wake up....." I realized something was clenched in my fist. Somehow finding the strength to sit up, I looked at the hand and saw the Rod enclosed in it. He'd given it back?

"M-Master!" I was suddenly embraced tightly by the silver one,"You're awake! You're okay!"

I pushed him away testily. "Yes, I'm awake. And I'm still very angry at you." His face fell, and for some reason I felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. ".....What happened?"

"Bakura hit you on the head with a lamp and tried to take me away." He said quickly. "But I sta-- I didn't let him take me. He left, and I brought you to bed and wrapped your head up." I cocked a brow.

"...I should lock you in the basement and leave you there for a week." He flinched as though I had struck him. "....But I should also be thankful to you." I sighed, reaching over to him. He flinched again. Had I really hit him that many times? I wondered as I patted his head. "So I'm not going to punish you. Go get me a shot of vodka." He looked like he was going to say something; probably about how head injuries and alcohol don't mix. But he stopped himself, looking fearful and leaving the room quickly.

I sighed, leaning against the pillows. "The hell are you doing to me, silver one....?" I asked myself. Before I found him in my doorway, I had never felt guilt before. I wasn't sure what to think of him.

A few moments later he rushed back in with my drink. I went to take it, but he knelt down before I could. He was remembering the rules I laid down better than I was. As I took a sip of the alcohol, I considered telling him to drop that rule-- but then I spit out the contents of my mouth.

"YOU IDIOT! That's vinegar, not vodka!" I threw the glass at him. "That's it! Get the fuck out of my room!" I saw the fear in his eyes as he dodged the glass and fled my room. Breathing heavily, I gripped the Sennen Rod in both of my hands. Why had I gotten so aggravated at that simple mistake? Now he would fear me more..... 2 days ago, that would have made me happy. But now..... I felt that twinge of guilt again.

I sighed. I knew I'd have to apologize to him eventually..... but not now. I would probably snap at him again and actually really hurt him..... wait, hadn't I slashed his chest open? My eyes widened and I jumped out of bed. Dammit, he better be okay!


	6. The Softer Side of Master

~~~Ryou's P.O.V.~~~

I ran from master's room, tears streaming down my face. I hadn't ever seen Master that mad, not even to Bakura..... God, what a screw-up I was. I threw myself into my corner and began to cry, not noticing the blood still coming from my chest. I began to feel rather weak and light headed quickly, but I brushed it off as a side effect from the crying.

Master suddenly wrenched me up. "Fuck!" I heard him shout. Unfortunately, I couldn't see much at the moment for some reason. "Stay with me, Ryou!" He called me by my name....? I was vaguely aware of my shirt being ripped off. I was pretty aware of getting carried someone. And I was DEFINITELY aware of a needle being poked into me and starting to sew my chest together. I let out a yelp of pain and immediately a rag was stuffed into my mouth.

"Just shut up and don't move." Master hissed. He quickly got the gash on my chest closed up and put his hand to my forehead. "Fuck, you're ice cold." He wrapped me in blankets and carried me to his room, setting me on the bed gently. I tried to speak, but the rag was still in my mouth. Master pulled it out.

"Master, what are you--"

"WHAT'D I SAY ABOUT ASKING QUESTIONS?!?!?!" I flinched horribly at the yell... and saw Master taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "What I mean is..... don't talk, just rest." I nodded, my eyes still wide with fear. He saw that I was scared and reached out to pet my hair. I wanted to cringe but didn't want to anger him further. So I let him do as he wished. In a surprisingly gentle way, he stroked my hair. I found the action soothing, despite my fear......

I opened my eyes several hours later, not realizing that I had fallen asleep. Master was gone.... that didn't surprise me, really. I curled up further under the blankets, sighing. I heard footsteps and looked at the bedroom door. Master was standing there, looking like he was ready to leave.

"Thank Ra you woke up." He said, walking over. "I was going to take you to the hospital if you hadn't." He knelt beside the bed, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were beautiful, and yet full of conflicting emotions. He put his hand to my forehead again. "You're warming up..... think you can eat something?"

I nodded, afraid of angering Master by saying no. He must have seen I was lying and sighed. "Ryou." He looked like he was struggling with his emotions. "You don't.... have to lie to me. I won't get mad if you say you're not hungry." I was confused. Was he..... trying to be nice? "I realize that..... I've been rather..... abusive. And that I need to ease up on the rules. I'll try to change."

"......Master....." I said softly, unsure of how to handle this. "I....... thank you....." Was all I could think to say.

".....And..... if I do snap, then please don't be afraid. I won't mean it. I promise." I nodded. I didn't know how him changing would turn out, but I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

How right I was.


	7. Promises

Several days passed, and yet Master's promise of change did not happen. I was still required to follow the rules he'd set before me. I began to wonder if I had just dreamed that entire day.... and yet, I knew it had happened, for my chest bore a healing gash and Master's head remained bandaged.

Maybe I had just imagined Master's promise. I felt the hope that had been brought by those words wither away like a dying rose. I began to go through life listlessly, for I thought that things were going to remain the same, and I would remain a virtual slave.

Master took notice to my depression. "Silver hikari, why are you so sad?" He asked as I brought him breakfast one morning. I knelt before him and merely mumbled,

"Nothing..."

"...Perhaps you believe that my promises were just a figment of your imagination." I looked at him incredulously. Was Master a mind reader? "Change does not come so easily. Give things time. You can't expect things to become perfect overnight." He reached over and pet my hair, his fingers running through my silvery locks. The touch, although strange, felt rather nice. "I always keep my promises. Always. And..... I ask that you keep one yourself."

I blinked. This was an odd request. "Sure, Master." I wondered what he wanted me to promise, but before I got the chance to ask he pulled me into a warm and tender embrace. My eyes widened, my mind going blank.

"Promise me you'll never leave...." He whispered. It wasn't a command, it was more like.... a plea.

".......I promise." I said softly. Master held me a little longer, running his tanned fingers over my hair again. I closed my eyes, savoring the gentle touches that Master was giving me. And then he released me, getting ready to leave.

"I have things to do. You have my permission to go anywhere in the house and use anything you like, except in my room of course." I nodded, catching sight of his eyes as he walked towards me-- to get his shoes, I assumed, since I was near them. As I stared into those beautiful lavender pools, I became lost in them. Only when Master was right in front of me, placing his lips onto my forehead, did I snap out of my trance. He smiled at my confused face and headed towards the door. I felt something inside of me throb, and next thing I knew I was hugging him from behind.

"Please come back safely....." I whispered. Master chuckled and turned around, wrapping his arms around me.

"I think I can do that." He gently pulled away, walking out of the door. I watched him get into his car through the window, and as he sped away I couldn't help waving to him. I suddenly felt so lonely it hurt. I didn't know why being alone bothered me so much this time. I wandered into the kitchen and looked at my cookbook, deciding to make Master a feast for when he came home. I set to work, hoping that when he returned he would see the food and let that gentle smile grace his face once more.


	8. Confusion

Many hours later, Master finally returned. I was sitting at the kitchen table, starting to nod off, when I heard the front door open and close. My heart leapt with joy.

"Master!" I called, jumping up and running to greet him. I went to hug him when an alcohol bottle smashed into the wall near me, sending glass and liquor everywhere. I stopped cold. "M-Master?"

"Get out of my way." Master grumbled drunkenly, pushing me roughly out of the way. I stumbled into the living room and watched him pass, tears in my eyes. He must have sensed my despair, for he stopped and sighed with a hiccup. "I'm not mad. I just have a bad temper when I'm like this." He proceeded into his room. Although his words reassured me, I was concerned for him. I tiptoed to his room and poked my head in.

"Master....?"

"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" He roared, throwing his lamp at me. I managed to avoid being hit. "I told you I have a bad temper! Go away!"

"B-But, master, I--" The next thing I knew I was pinned to the floor, Master's hands at my throat. All thoughts of concern for him vanished in that instant; I was too afraid for my own well being. There was an animalistic look in Master's eyes, and I felt tears well up in my own again. He pressed down harder onto my windpipe, cutting off my air completely. I felt the darkness gathering in the corners of my vision.... and then suddenly I was free, gasping in air. Master collapsed onto me and began sobbing.

"I-I'm sorry!" He said, sitting up and pulling me into a hug. I was too afraid to stop him, or to enjoy it in the least. "I don't mean to hurt you, Ryou, I really don't!" He held me tightly. I was shaking so badly that even being held like that couldn't stop my tremors. "I just get so mad and...... and I can't control it!" He buried his face into my shoulder, clinging to me. I was so severely confused.

But after awhile, Master turned from depressed.... to violent again. "Ra dammit!" He yelled, punching my face. I felt something break-- probably my nose. Blood began pouring down my face. "This is all your fault, stupid one!" He shoved me down and grabbed my hair, yanking as hard as he could. I shrieked in pain as some of my hair was pulled out-- not enough to notice, but still enough to hurt. Master began hitting my chest. Thankfully my wound was healed enough not to be ripped open by the powerful blows. But needless to say, they hurt worse than the hair ripping.

After a few minutes of the beating-- and probably several broken ribs-- he collapsed back onto my chest, sobbing once more. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Unfortunately, there wasn't enough air in my lungs to reply. Master continued to cry, until he was asleep. Each breath was a battle, and Master lying on top of me wasn't helping. Weakly, and after much struggling, I managed to worm out from under him and lay on the floor beside him, fighting for each breath.

After what seemed like hours the stabbing pains had dulled, and I decided to try getting up and going into the bathroom to wash the caked blood from my face. Managing to get to my feet, I stumbled through the house and into my bathroom. I flicked on the lights.... and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Gods, I looked horrible! My nose was swollen, the whole lower half of my face was coated in congealed blood, I looked disheveled and tired and scared.....

Tears welled up in my eyes and I slid onto the floor, my hands resting on the edge of the sink as I began to sob. My chest felt like it was on fire, and still I cried. I was so miserable in this house with master, and I couldn't leave because Bakura would find me and do the exact same thing..... I was doomed to live a pathetic, painful existence!

I saw something glint at me from the counter. A pair of gleaming scissors. My heart skipped a beat. Maybe..... maybe there was a way out of this hellhole I called a life. I reached for the shining blades, feeling my spirits soar. Salvation was so close, mere inches from my fingertips. Something kept me from reaching them though. The scissors were moving away. I frantically tried to grab them, but to no avail.

"Wait! Come back!" I begged, getting to my feet and running after them. But they kept moving away, and I realized that I was not moving at all. Chains appeared on my ankles and wrists, shackling me to the spot. The bathroom had long since faded away to swirling purple and black. I struggled frantically against them, quickly rubbing the skin raw.

"Ryou....... Ryou......" Master's voice echoed.

"M-Master?" I tried to say, but no sound came out. I tried opening my mouth-- and to my horror, I realized it was sewn shut. I tried to scream, ripping my lips apart. As I did so, the purple and black disappeared and I was back in the bathroom, no longer chained down and covered in a cold sweat. Master's concerned face was above mine, and I realized my head was in his lap.

"You were having a nightmare." He said, gently stroking my hair. I was shaking uncontrollably. My chest hurt horribly, and I rolled to the side and vomited onto the floor. "Dammit." Master pulled me away from the pool of sick and brought me to the bathtub. He stripped me down and started a bath, setting me inside the warm water. My shaking eased away. He began to pour water onto my sweat-soaked hair. My eyes closed again. "This is all my fault.... me and my fucking drinking problem....." He muttered to himself. "Please forgive me, Ryou....." Again, he'd used my name....

"I-I...... do....." I whispered with difficulty. "I..... forgive you......"

Master must have felt extremely terrible for what he did, for he gently bathed me, wrapped me in a towel and brought me to his room, where he dried me off, clothed me, and tucked me into his bed. I had calmed down for the most part by now.

"Do you need any pain medicine?" He asked softly, stroking my cheek. I nodded a little; there was no denying I needed some. He got up and brought me the medicine, helping me sit up to take it along with a little bit of water. "Your working days are over for now. You need real rest time....." His voice trailed off, for I had grabbed hold of his black shirt.

"W-Will...... you stay..... with me.....?" I whispered, afraid to be alone.

"Of course." He smiled a little, reaching over and running his fingers over my hair. Reassured, I let my hand drop, and let Master's petting motions send me off to sleep.


	9. A Surprise Visit and Ryou's in leather

~~~~~~~~Marik's P.O.V.~~~~~~~~~

Ryou slept through the night and well into the next day. I watched him the whole time, making sure that he was okay. Around 3 in the afternoon, the phone rang. I leaned over from my spot on the bed and grabbed the handset, which was on my bedside table.

"Marik Ishtar speaking." I answered coldly.

"Hey Mariku!" Came a gay voice. And by gay, I meant happy AND homosexual.

"Hello, hikari." I said fondly. Malik was the one person in the world I could never hate. There was just something about him that I couldn't help but adore.

"Guess who's about 10 minutes away from your house?"

My heart stopped a little. "Not you?"

"Yes, me! I'm coming to visit, since we haven't seen each other in awhile."

"That's.... great! Wonderful! I'll get ready for you then. Bye." I said quickly, hanging up. If Malik saw Ryou, he'd do one of two things: report me to the police, or take advantage of him. And if I had to chose, I'd take him taking advantage of Ryou any day.

A small twang of guilt came with this thought. I brushed it aside and shook Ryou awake. "Silver hikari, wake up." I briskly went to my closet and grabbed out a pair of black leather skinnies and a black blindfold. If Malik had to see Ryou, he'd see him as a proper slave. Again, I felt that guilt, and again I pushed it aside.

Ryou sat up blearily, and I yanked the pajamas he was wearing off. He looked startled as I forced him into the skinnies and terrified as I put the blindfold on him.

"Now listen Ryou, and listen good." I said, hoping to scare him enough to make him obey my following commands, "You will stay silent until addressed, you will kneel like a dog until told otherwise, and you are to follow ALL my commands without hesitation, or I'm reopening that wound on your chest."

Without giving Ryou a change to answer, I grabbed him and put a black collar around his neck, connecting a leash to the ring and yanking him off the bed. "Now come!" He got onto his hands and knees, looking humiliated as he followed me to the living room. Once again I was feeling guilty, but my anxiety over possibly going to jail was overpowering it.

I settled myself regally on the couch, yanking Ryou down at my feet. He was silent, and I smirked a little; looks like he was scared enough to listen to what I'd said. He was becoming quite the listener.

A few minutes later I heard a car pull into the driveway, and about 10 seconds later my front door was thrown open.

"I'm heeeereeeee~~~~!" Malik called gaily, stepping into the living room.

"Hello, hikari." I said, watching Malik's eyes wander to Ryou.

"....Who's that?" He asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"This is my pet." I said, reaching down and patting Ryou's head. "His name is Ryou." I expected Malik to say,

"Oh, okay then." Or, "He's so cute!!"

I didn't expect him to say, "Let me fuck him."

Okay, that's the end for this part. I know it was short, but there is a very mature scene coming up (you all know what it is) and I'd rather give my readers a choice to read it or not. So I will soon be posting Part 9.B: A Surprise Visit (and Ryou's in leather).


	10. A Surprise Visit and Ryou's in Leather B

"I.... what?" I asked, momentarily stunned.

"Let me fuck him." Malik repeated, walking over to Ryou and holding his hand out for the leash.

"Hikari, I--"

"Marik, either you let me fuck that beautiful boy or I'm calling the cops on you and taking him anyway." Malik kept his hand out expectantly.

I was conflicted. I didn't want Ryou to be violated like that, but.... dammit, I didn't want to go to jail! "Alright..." I conceded, handing Malik the leash.

"N-No!" Ryou cried out, grabbing my legs and holding on. "Please Marik, don't let him do this!"

".....I thought I told you to stay silent." I said coldly, bitch slapping Ryou away. "Punish him as you see fit, hikari."

"Marik, no!!!" Ryou screamed as Malik pushed him face first onto the living room floor. Holding his head down with one hand, he used the other to yank Ryou's pants down.

"What a cute little ass you've got...." He purred, giving Ryou's rear end a hard squeeze. "Hm... I need to get good and hard...." He let go of Ryou's head, yanking him up with the leash.

I got up to leave, unable to watch this.

"Stay and watch, Mariku." Malik ordered. I stopped, knowing that if I didn't obey I was going to jail. I sat back down reluctantly.

Malik undid his own pants and pulled his dick out. He grabbed Ryou's head and forced his mouth open, pushing it forward until it engulfed his member completely. "Now suck it." He ordered, tightening his grip on Ryou's hair. Ryou didn't do anything, his body shaking. "I said suck it!!" Malik yelled, yanking Ryou's head back and then shoving him forward again. Ryou listened this time, tears rolling down his face as he sucked Malik. "Mmm.... that's it...." Malik purred, pushing and pulling Ryou's head.

I could feel my own arousal starting up. I didn't know why, but this was incredibly erotic.... and my body was responding to it.

"....Alright, that's enough!" Malik said after a few minutes, yanking Ryou's head away and then shoving him back facefirst onto the floor, his ass in the air. Malik moved behind him, grabbing Ryou's ass and spreading him apart so he could see the small hole. "Mm.... he's going to be so tight~." Malik leaned his head down and thoroughly licked the hole. Ryou whimpered, clenching his fists. I felt badly for him, but I felt worse for myself.

Malik moved his dick to Ryou's entrance, making sure that his tip was pressed against the hole before spreading Ryou apart more. "You're mine from now on." He slammed himself into Ryou.

I closed my eyes as Ryou's scream of agony echoed through the house. That must have hurt....

Malik began to thrust relentlessly into Ryou's tiny body, making him scream more. Not long in, blood began oozing out from Ryou's hole.

"H-heh.... Marik.... get undressed." Malik ordered, his hands now on Ryou's hips. I obeyed silently, suddenly realizing that this must be what Ryou felt like daily here. Helpless, forced to do things against his will.... it was horrible to experience it myself.

"Now lay on your back close enough so the slave can suck you off."

Once again, I obeyed, lifting Ryou's head up and putting it over my member. Ryou didn't even need an order; he'd been broken today. He opened his mouth and accepted my dick, bobbing his head and sucking it. Tears were still pouring down his face, and his own unused dick was limp. He wasn't enjoying this at all.... but suddenly, I was. Oh Ra, what a mouth Ryou had! I moaned, using my arms as a pillow for my head.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Malik asked, panting and thrusting harder and faster into Ryou. I could see blood running down Ryou's legs and shut my eyes. I didn't want to see that. Ryou licked my dick thoroughly, and I could feel my peak rushing towards me quickly.

"Ohhh fuuuuck Ryou...." I moaned out loudly, moving one arm to pet Ryou's hair.

"Nn.... g-gonna cum...." Malik groaned, thrusting intensely into Ryou's abused entrance.

"S-Same..." I panted out, bucking my hips up into Ryou's mouth. At the same time, my hikari and I came; my cum going into Ryou's mouth, and Malik's cum flying onto Ryou's back.

"H-Hikari!" I panted. "Wh-why'd you pull out! That's disgusting!"

Malik smirked uncharacteristically as he pushed his limp dick back into his pants, zipping them up. "I know." And with that, he left. The only sounds in the house now were my own panting... and Ryou's anguished sobs.


	11. Marik's Shadow Emerges

I sat on the edge of the bed, looking over at the lump under the blankets that was Ryou. It was mere hours after my hikari-- who I misjudged so badly-- had brutally raped him.... and he'd gotten me involved in it.

"Ryou...." I called softly.

"Don't talk to me!" Was the broken response. "How could you..... how could you let him do that to me? A-All I do is listen to you.... I'm always a good slave, and yet you keep hurting me! You didn't even apologize!" He began to sob uncontrollably. Hearing that sound made a ball of cold guilt settle in my stomach. Carefully, slowly and gently I pulled the covers back and eased Ryou into my lap, holding him.

"Shhh...... Ryou..... I'll apologize now...." I said gently, rocking him back and forth. I thought he'd be angrier than this. I certainly would have been. "I'm sorry.... I'm sorry for how I'm always treating you... and I'm sorry for what my hikari did.... and I'm sorry for what I did...."

Ryou continued crying, burying his face in my chest. I noticed that he kept shifting, as though he couldn't get comfortable.

".......Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Y-Yes..." Ryou whispered. I gently laid him down on his side and got up, going to my bathroom and rummaging through my medicine cabinet for something to help him. I still felt that hot guilt bubbling in my stomach. "I'm.... I'm really a horrible person, aren't I?" I asked my reflection in the mirror. "Ryou's the only one I can trust...."

"Yes you are a horrible person." I was startled that my reflection had answered my question. "You could have easily stopped that from happening. You wanted Ryou to love you. That's why you've kept him this whole time."

My eyes widened. Was that really my true intention? Had I really wanted that, without even knowing? "Malik was the only person you treated civily. Why? Because you loved him. But you wanted more. You didn't want just one love in your life. And when Ryou came stumbling along, battered and bruised and helpless, you seized your chance."

"Sh-shut up!" I said, a bead of sweat running down my face.

"You thought that if you took Ryou in, and treated him like a slave, then he'd be forced to love you. And you hoped that if he was forced to love you that he'd grow to love you on his own."

"Shut up I said!" My fists clenched, my sanity starting to crack.

"And now you've blown it." My reflection was raving now, the same insane look on its face as was on my own. "You let Malik take his innocence, cause him pain, and used him to your advantage. And you know now that there's NO way in Heaven or Hell that Ryou would EVER love you!"

"SILENCE, FOOL!" I screamed, grabbing the mirror off the wall and throwing it as hard as I could against the door. The mirror shattered, and I swore I could hear my own insane laughter ringing through the bathroom.

"You can't escape yourself, Marik! You can't escape me!" A shadow of myself appeared before me; he was the one who was laughing. "You can't escape! Can't escape! Can't escape!" He grabbed my throat, and I suddenly was paralyzed, violent images flashing through my mind. "Can't escape the anger! Can't escape the hatred! Can't escape the violence of your own desires!" The images turned into wants and desires, embedding themselves deep into my subconscious. I started slipping away.... away from the light, away from the shadow holding me.... away from..... Ryou.......


	12. Bloody Shadow

Damn, it felt good to be back. No more of this sappy, goody two shoes, lovey dovey bullshit. I caught my reflection in a shattered fragment of the mirror, and smirked when I saw the eye of Ra shimmering brighter than ever on my forehead. Those disgusting veins were creeping back up onto my face, and I was fiendishly delighted.

"M-Marik....?" Ryou called from the bedroom. He sounded scared. I cackled.

"Yes, Ryou?" I pushed open the bathroom door and strode into the bedroom, letting the insanity show clearly in my countenance. Ryou's eyes went wide, his pupils contracting in fear. He looked ready to piss himself!

"This is too rich!" I threw my head back and laughed maniacally, the sound ringing through the entire house. When my gales of laughter finally subsided, I looked back at Ryou. But he was gone, bringing on another round of cackles. "Are you playing cat and mouse with me, silver hikari?" I called tauntingly, reaching under the bed for my Sennen Rod. The cold metal felt delightful in my hand. "Well then.... I always did love a good hunt."

I cowered in a kitchen cabinet, smushed inside the small area in my haste to hide. My heart was pounding so hard I was afraid Marik would be able to hear it. What had happened to him? It was like he'd snapped! I curled up into a tighter ball, shaking. I was afraid.

"I can smell your fear, silver one!" Marik called in a high-pitched, mocking voice. I heard him step into the kitchen and held my breath, willing my heart to stop. "Oh, what's this now? Are you trying to stop your little heart so I won't hear you?" His footsteps approached the cabinet that I was hiding in. "You don't have the will to do that, hikari." He wrenched the cabinet off its hinges, revealing my hiding place. "But I can easily stop your heart if you so wish."

This threw me over the edge of insanity myself. All thoughts ceased as I hurdled myself out of the cabinet at him, a wild, animalistic scream starting in my chest and working its way up my throat until it burst from my lips. The scream consumed my entire being, and I suddenly had the Sennen Rod in my hands, as though the terrible sound had drawn it to me. I saw for a fleeting moment a look of surprise on Marik's face, but in the next moment the Rod had been unsheathed, and I was stabbing the blade into Marik as hard and fast as I could. I intended to hurt him as badly as possible. 5 stabs, 10 stabs, 25 stabs, 50 stabs, 100 stabs.... over and over again, my arm plunged the blade into a new spot on Marik's body. Blood was everywhere; warm, wet and ruby red, it splattered onto the walls and pooled on the floor. I was covered in it, feeling the liquid running down my face and neck and onto my chest.

I was sure that Marik had to be dead at this point; no one could lose that much blood and live. My arm stopped, leaving the Rod impaled in his shoulder. He was laying motionless on the floor, his eyes half open and seemingly blank. For a moment, I felt sorrow take hold of my heart.

"......I love you, Marik...." I said softly, turning and walking towards the front door. As I reached for the handle, however, I heard a soft, cold laugh that made my heart stop.

"Love me, hikari?" Marik asked in a voice shaking with laughter. "You can't love me! No one can love a shadow!"

"H-How are you still alive?!" I yelled, turning and staring at him. Marik was on his feet, as though he wasn't bothered by the dozens of stab wounds littering his body.

"Because, hikari...." He reached up and yanked the Rod out of his shoulder. "Shadows cannot die, for they are not born."

The next thing I knew, the Rod was embedded into the wall right where my head had been milliseconds earlier, and I was out the door, leaping off of the porch barefooted and taking off down the street, hearing Marik's laughter ringing through my head. My heart was racing, I couldn't breathe from the fear. My legs kept carrying me down this seemingly endless road, all else fading away.

And then something had hold of me, and I was screaming wildly, fighting against whatever was stopping me from running until my heart gave out. I was pinned onto the ground, my arms pressed against my side and my legs held down by strong hands. I thrashed wildly, screaming words I didn't even understand.

"Someone call an ambulance!" I could vaguely make out through my screams. To me, this meant nothing, a meaningless sentence that was just a waste of sound. I felt more and more hands rest on my body, eventually holding even my head motionless. I finally stopped screaming, though I was still unaware of what was going on.

"It'll be alright, Ryou." I heard someone say; the person that was holding my head still was slowly stroking my hair. This small action pacified me slightly. But that voice.... it was so familiar, though I could not place the name. Slowly, my surroundings swam into view, and I could see many faces gathered around me.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" I suddenly shrieked, feeling trapped. "GET AWAY! **GET AWAY!!!!**"

"Give him some room!" The person holding my head ordered. I watched as the faces moved away and stopped screaming, my chest heaving.

"Shh...." Once again, my hair was being petted. Slowly I calmed down again. "Everything will be alright...." The person crooned softly. I could hear a whining siren in the distance, though at the time I had no idea what it was. "You're safe now.... you're safe...."

My eyes widened as I finally recognized that voice. No.... no, it couldn't be..... My mind resisted the knowledge of who it was; there was no way that he could be this gentle! Not after what he'd done to me so long ago! I started to cry, too exhausted to do anything else. My body refused to move, and my voice refused to produce another shriek.

"Shhh..... just rest, Ryou....." The person said softly, his hand moving to brush away my tears.

"N-no..... n-no way..... y-you're not Bakura...." I muttered in a cracking voice, my consciousness starting to fade.

"Don't talk, Ryou..... shhhhh....."

"Bakura.... never called me........ Ryou........." …....................


	13. Shattered Mentalities

"Shh, he's waking up." Voices whispered around me. My body was so heavy and warm..... Why'd those voices have to wake me up?

"Ryou?" Bakura's voice snapped my eyes open. Everyone looked startled that I had woken so suddenly. "Shh, it's okay." Bakura could see that I was starting to hyperventilate, my heart

rate spiking. "Shh... calm down..."

"Don't talk to me like that!" I hissed, my eyes darting to him and narrowing to dangerous slits. "Don't start acting like you care, Bakura!"

"Ryou, I do care." Bakura said, very quietly and very calmly.

"Like hell you do!" I yelled, my voice cracking. Everyone in the room was silent. "You're the one who abused me first! Four fucking years I suffered at yours hands, and then I finally escaped! And you had to come back and hurt me and make Marik--" I stopped cold as that name passed my lips. "......Heh..... heheh..... Heheheheh...... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" I started to laugh maniacally, my body shaking with the sound. Everyone backed away, looking fearful that such an evil noise could come from me. Bakura just watched me with calm eyes.

I stopped laughing suddenly, fixing my half open glare at him. "You weren't as bad as Marik.... but you certainly were the reason why I ended up with him. You have NO idea what I've suffered through because of you, Bakura!" I tackled Bakura to the ground, my hands clenched around his throat.

"Ryou, no!" I heard Yugi exclaim; so the geek squad was here, were they? Hands tried to pull me away from Bakura, and I tightened my grip on his neck in response. What bothered me about Bakura was that he just kept giving me that same calm stare.

".....STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" I yelled, suddenly letting of him and crawling backwards from him. "JUST STOP!" I curled into a ball, gripping the sides of my head. "I can't.... I CAN'T THINK!!" Hot tears streamed down my face, unnoticed. "WHY!?!" I curled up more, squeezing my eyes shut. "Why?! Why why why why why why...." I repeated this word over and over again, as though each new time would bring an answer.

"Ryou..." It was Yugi again. Hearing him say my name like that flew me into another rage.

"DON'T CALL MY NAME LIKE THAT, AS IF WE'RE FRIENDS!" I shrieked, lunging at him. Someone held me back by my arms; I didn't care to find out who. "YOU NEVER TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME! YOU NEVER TRIED TO SAVE ME! YOU DON'T CARE! YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND! NONE OF YOU ARE!"

"Ryou." Bakura's voice behind me stopped me in mid-scream. "That's enough."

A thousand retorts flashed through my mind, and yet none made it to my mouth.

"They had no way of knowing what was happening to you. The fault lies with me. I'm the one who caused all of this.... all of your suffering."

".......Bakura...." I whispered brokenly, feeling more tears on my cheeks. Bakura slowly let go of my arms, and I turned around and hugged him, burying my face in his chest and sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry!" I cried out. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry...." Bakura's hand ran through my hair slowly.

"Shh... that's enough." He said quietly. "Don't apologize...." He held me close, his arms wrapped around me protectively. For the first time in.... a long time, I felt safe. "We're going to get you help...."

I knew what kind of help he meant. "I-I don't need to see a fucking shrink--!!"

"Ryou." Once again, his voice stopped me. "You need therapy. Counseling. You're not mentally stable."

"......Of course I'm not mentally stable!" I yelled, dissolving into more tears. "You don't know what happened to me!!" I buried my face into Bakura's chest again, sobbing. "You don't know.... how bad I hurt....."

"We're going to help you, Ryou...." Joey said, since Yugi was too traumatized to speak. "We'll be here for you, 100% of the way. Cuz we're all friends."

Friends..... had I ever really had them? I thought back hard; I couldn't remember once that any of these people had said they were my friends. I started fuming again. But a small voice in the back of my head said, "Friends don't have to have been forever. Friends come and go...."

'Just like my sanity.' I thought, going into a gale of crazy laughter.


	14. A Look Into Marik's Past

Okay, this part is going to be a little different. It's not going to center around Ryou or Marik's point of view. It's basically a third person point of view, to show what Marik's up to during Ryou's recovery. For now, we're starting with just a few hours after Ryou's escape. Enjoy!!!!

Marik walked through the darkness of the night, his cape billowing out behind him in the night's gentle breeze. The Sennen Rod gleamed in his hand; the familiar smirk played on his lips. Tonight, he was out for blood.

A small child played on the sidewalk about a block ahead, drawing on the cold pavement with a word-down piece of green chalk. The child was no more than 6 years old; certainly, he didn't belong out this late at night alone. His face was sweet, with chubby rosy cheeks and a cherubic nose. Thin lips were pressed together, the tip of a small tongue poked between them. Medium length ruby red hair complemented the vivid green eyes of the innocent boy.

Marik smirked more when he saw the boy, so preoccupied in drawing the hopscotch board. Young and innocent blood always tasted the best..... and yet, Marik had to wonder how he knew this. Tonight was the first night in his memory that he had felt this bloodlust, and it was the first time that he was going out to satisfy it. He shook his head after a minute; no need to wonder about that when there was limbs to be chopped off.

As Marik approached the boy, the red head stood, looking with pride down at the lopsided drawing he'd made. He pulled a smooth stone from his pocket and ran his fingers over it slowly, then tossed it down. The stone landed on the 5th square, and the boy began to hop. But before his foot had touched the first square, his arm was flying into the street, blood spurting from it and the nub attached to the boy's body. The boy looked with alarm at the sight, the initial shock blocking his pain.

Marik grabbed the boy's hair in an iron grip, mentally noting how smooth and soft the red locks were. The boy was pretty; his parents must have been overjoyed at the birth of such a pretty baby.

Well, they would have no joy anymore.

The boy started to scream, fear and adrenaline shooting through him. He suddenly felt the pain of his arm being severed and grabbed at the gushing stump, blood squirting onto his hand and painting it red. He seemed ignorant to the fact of Marik's existance.

Marik frowned and doubled his grip on the Sennen Rod, which was of course unsheathed to show a bloody blade. 'Why doesn't this boy fear me?' He wondered, slicing off the other arm and smirking as he heard the boy's anguished scream. He expected the boy to be pleading for mercy, for an end, but instead the boy was crying for his mother.

"Mommy!!! Mommy!!!!" He screamed, tears running down his plump cheeks and dripping from his face.

Mommy..... Marik had never had a mommy. He'd never really had a daddy, either. No one to cry for when he was hurt, and no one to offer comfort to him. He'd only ever had his hikari, who he couldn't trust anymore; Ishizu, who was terrified of him to the point where she would stop breathing if they were in the same room together; and Odion, who was Marik's faithful servant for many years. But sadly, his life had been cut short.... by Marik's own hands.

As Marik lifted the boy into the air by his hair and sliced off his right leg, Marik recounted that day. It was one he'd never forget.... and never forgive himself for.

It was late at night, much like it was now. Marik could remember the rain pounding against the windows; it had been stormy, and cold. Lightning flashed rapidly, and thunder was constant. Marik was afraid.

"Odion!" He'd screamed, cowering under the kitchen table like a small child. His brain cut through the flashback with an image of the bleeding boy he held, and his subconscious shoved the image away.

Odion had come in with a fuzzy purple blanket, Marik's favorite. "Here, master Marik." He'd said, wrapping the then 14 year old in the comforting cloth.

"Odion, I'm scared!!!" Marik had clung to Odion desperately, shaking with the fear. Odion smiled and sat down under the table with Marik, holding him gently.

"There's no need to be afraid, master Marik." He'd said softly, running his fingers through Marik's hair. "Thunder and lightning.... they're just sights and sounds. You're safe in here.... I'll protect you."

Marik had felt safe for a moment. Odion had been the only one to stick by him like this. He'd treated him like a father would a son.

And then came the loudest and most violent strike of thunder yet.

Marik's pupils contracted to virtually nothing. His body tensed completely, a wild and animalistic scream rising through his throat and breaking through his lips. He grabbed Odion's throat and pinned him to the ground, bashing Odion's head into the ground violently and repeatedly.

"DIE!!!! DIE!!!!!!!!!!!! **DIE YOU FUCKING THUNDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" He screamed; in his mind, he was killing the thunder. In reality, he was killing the only one who cared for him. Over and over again, he smashed Odion's skull onto the ground. Bone shattered and cracked; blood leaked from Odion's eyes, mouth, nose and ears. A piece of skull broke through Odion's scalp and tore it; brain matter flowed out and pooled underneath Odion's head as it was raised and smashed down. The blood splattered onto Marik's hands, face and neck. As Odion's head was brought down, it sprayed the brain matter out and all over the table legs.

As the storm died down, Marik began to come back to reality. He felt warm and wet liquid all over himself; there was something wrong with Odion. Marik began to shake when he saw his hands clenched around Odion's neck. He began to cry when he saw all the blood. And he began to scream when he saw Odion's dead eyes.

"......" Marik shook his head of the memory, turning his attention back to the boy in his grasp. "SILENCE!!" He shrieked, sweeping the blade through the boy's remaining limb. Blood poured from all 4 stumps, pooling on the sidewalk beneath the writhing boy and spraying onto Marik, as the boy's own heart drove the life out of him. "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AN INSIGNIFICANT SPECK ON THIS WORLD!!! YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME THAT I'M SAVING YOU FROM YOUR PATHETICNESS!!!!"

"I-I want to live!!!" The boy screamed. Marik was enraged. Didn't the boy realize that he had no chance? He had lost too much blood; help would not come for him. "I want to grow up! I want to love!! I want to see my little sister born!!!"

Marik stopped. How could this boy want to live for such meaningless things? "......" Maybe to the boy, small things had big meaning. Was this the same for adults, too? Was that why people lived the way they did? Striving towards a greater end?

"......Silence." Marik said quietly, cutting the boy in half.


	15. Info about Next Chapter!

Hello, my faithful readers! Mokie here, and I have a dilemma.

As you may have noticed, it's been about a week since I updated my fanfic.

I'm at a bit of a snag.

I have ideas, but I'm not sure if I want the next part to center around Ryou, or Marik.

I'm leaning towards another Marik part for a couple of reasons. One, I need to give you guys a more in-depth look into what he's up to while Ryou's recovering in the hospital.

Two, my friend who cosplays Marik is having a crisis, and I'm thinking that a Marik part would cheer her up a bit.

But on the other hand, I think a lot of people would enjoy reading about Ryou's mind going down the tubes.

So I'm leaving this up to you, my faithful readers!

I want you guys to vote on what I should do.

Please leave a review on who you think the next part should center around: Marik, Ryou, or maybe half and half.

Please vote only once! If I see someone's voted twice, I will not count EITHER of their votes. :)

I'm leaving this up for a few days-- until Sunday, May 16th. I will count the votes Sunday night, and have the next part up by Monday night.

It's completely up to you guys!

~ Mokie ~


	16. A Shift in Marik's Balance

The days blended together into one long endless reality. I had lost all track of time. All I was doing was stumbling around the city, never sleeping, never eating, killing anyone that came in my path.

Unfortunately, the police of Domino City didn't take too kindly to me killing their citizens. Not that they could do anything about it.

One faithful encounter was only just yesterday... or was it 2 days ago? A week ago? I couldn't remember. I stumbled into an alley, killing the 2 or 3 hobos that were there and slicing off an arm to munch on as I reminisced about that time. As I bit into the dirty, bleeding flesh, the memory came to me slowly.

I had been in a playground. That day, I was feeling powerful, and the shadows were strong around me. Like whips, they struck out, grabbing the screaming brat childrens and tearing their bodies into little chunks. Blood was spraying everywhere, as though it was in a giant spray can. Parents could only watch in horror, too terrified to make a sound.

But one child had eluded the shadows somehow, and grabbed onto my pantleg. I hissed and kicked the thing away. The child wailed and begged me to stop. A part of me begged as well; my head ached horribly. I gripped the sides of it and screamed. A wave of shadows pulsed from me in a complete ring, shooting out and slicing everyone standing in half. Many bodies fell to the ground, and then there was silence, apart from my dying scream and blood trickling on the ground.

I stumbled away from the playground, feeling sick to my stomach and feverish. Something inside me was fighting with something else, and it felt like it was killing me. As my feet scuffed across sidewalk, my hands fumbled for something to support me. I knew that I was going to be sick very very shortly, and I had no desire to do it in the public eye.

After about 10 minutes of shaky, uneven footsteps, I had reached a dead-end. "Fuck my life..." I growled. Then the unbearable nauseous feeling overwhelmed me. I dropped to my knees, helpless as I vomited up quarts of fluid from my stomach. It hurt so bad...

I lost track of how long I was vomiting, but it was long enough to leave me in a near dead state. I crawled away and fell to the ground, gasping for air. Tears were in my eyes. I was helpless... as helpless as those children that I'd so brutally murdered such a short time ago...

As this realization came to my attention, the pain in my stomach intensified a hundred fold and spread to my whole body. I was screaming in pain, curling up into a tiny ball of patheticness. My mouth formed the word 'Ryou' over and over again. Who was Ryou...? I could barely remember... I struggled to remember, and eventually a face came in mind. Almost like a miracle, just the thought of him eased the pain immensely. I was baffled, but kept him in my mind. Eventually, the pain left me completely, though my muscles were now exhausted from tensing and I couldn't move. Sleep began to envelop me, making Ryou's image all the more clear. I could remember him more now.

I reached out to him slowly, whether in a dream or in real life I did not know. He seemed to reach out with a smile to take my hand, to save me from my patheticness... my heart lifted considerably; I would be with him again... all would be alright...

Suddenly, the shadows shot in between our outstretched hands, repelling them away. I cried out and tried reaching out for him again, but the shadows wrapped themselves around me and began dragging me away. He was screaming soundlessly, fear and insanity in his countenance. I couldn't do anything, and as the shadows wrapped themselves tightly around me, everything, including Ryou, went black.

Sorry for not updating when I said I would! A lot of things came up at school, and I was busy getting my grades up to acceptable. But I'll try to update again soon, as I know you all want to find out what happens to Mariku next. Did anyone see the symbolism in this part? xD


	17. Notice to my Loyal Readers!

Hello my loyal readers! Haven't seen you guys in ages! I just wanted to let you know that I will update my MarikxRyou fanfic. I know what I'm going to write, I just haven't been in the mood to. I've had a lot going on these last couple of months, but I won't keep you guys hanging much longer! ^.-

Also! I will be putting out another fanfic~ It's going to be a secret, but it'll be with my personal favorite pairing. You'll just have to wait and see! Teehee!

I need to thank each and every one of you who have stuck by me this whole time, and have been patiently awaiting my next update. You know who you are. ^^ Your patience will be rewarded!

And remember, Mokie loves you!


	18. Awakening

"…_.ey….. Hey….. Hey, mister….. come on, wake up….."_

I groaned. Who in Ra's name was calling me so obnoxiously?

"_Come on!" _A small pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and lightly shook me. I was getting thoroughly annoyed.

"Get your filthy hands off of me—" I growled, opening my eyes. But the threat died before it even came out; the one who had roused me was a child, no older than 10. His eyes were bright and blue; his hair a dirty blonde. For a moment, I was taken aback by his innocent beauty, my breath being sucked from my lungs. He was so pure….

"Are you okay, mister?" The child asked me. "Do you need another blanket?" I realized that I was lying on a small bed mat, with my head resting on a stack of worn down pillows and my body covered by thinning blankets.

"….No." I answered. The boy's innocence was taming any animalistic urge I had. I took a glance around; we were in a small, run-down building that was covered in cobwebs. The paint on the walls was peeling away; the floor was solid concrete. Was this an orphanage of some sort? "Where am I…?" I realized that my mouth and throat were ridiculously dry; it hurt to talk.

"We're at my house." The boy replied, holding a cup of water to my lips. I opened my mouth to refuse, as my nature dictated me to, but the look of happiness on the boy's face from my awakening made me swallow my pride. I drank.

"This is your house?" I asked doubtfully, once my throat and mouth were wet once more. "This looks like a prison of some sort."

"Well, it used to be a corrections department or something." The boy said, attempting to fluff my pillows. "But now it's my house."

"…..Where are your parents?" I noticed that there seemed to be no other sign of life in this dreary building.

"Mama and daddy are dead." He said it so cheerfully that I was taken aback again.

"Don't you miss them? Aren't you scared to be alone?" I asked, sitting up and gawking at the child. He shook his head, causing his mess of hair to move about on his large head.

"They're with God now. They're angels with God. And I know that they're watching over me, so I'm not ever alone." He crawled closer to me. "What about your mama and daddy?"

"…..I never had a mama and daddy." I said bitterly, turning my head from him. I could feel my anger returning, and I was relieved; the feelings this boy invoked were foreign to me, and made me uncomfortable. "I was never born."

"…..But you _had_ to have a mama, at least. You had to have been born."

"I didn't have anything. Just drop it, kid."

The child huffed and puffed out his cheeks; I saw this out of the corner of my eye and nearly had an aneurysm. It was just so… what was the word? It started with a 'c'….. "Don't you have any family at all, then?"

I was annoyed that this kid wasn't getting the hint to leave me alone. "I said to drop it!" I yelled, turning and smacking him to the ground. For a split second, I felt pleasure surge through me. But the cry that came from him crumbled my stone heart. Guilt flooded my entire being. I could hear a voice chiding me in my head…. It sounded so much like Ryou…. "H-Hey…" I tried to make amends for hurting him; reaching out to help him up, I saw that he'd hit his head on the hard floor. "I'm…. I apologize." I mumbled, unable to utter the word 'sorry'. I gently helped him back up, and noticed that he was crying.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" He asked, crying so hard that he could barely get the words out. A lump formed in my throat. I had to swallow hard to get the words out.

"No… no, you didn't do anything wrong. But I did." Brushing his bangs out of his face, I wondered what was happening to me. "I'm…. sick. In my head." Somehow, he seemed to understand that and calmed down.

"Wh-what's your name?" He asked with a sniffle, wiping his eyes. I contemplated telling him my name, but something told me not to. Not Ryou's voice. Not the sinister voice that urged me to do wrong. Just… a gut instinct.

"I'm… Rishid." I said. The boy cocked his head.

"…Ri-shid?" He repeated slowly. I nodded. Slowly a smile crept onto his face. "I like that name. It sounds cool."

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch.

"I'm Hotaru." The boy said, crawling closer and sitting next to me. "Let's be friends, okay?"

"…. Listen, ki—Hotaru." I said, trying to be patient with him. "I'm not a good person to be friends with. You saw what I did to you just now." I gently rubbed the lump that was forming on the boy's head. "I'm dangerous…. I shouldn't even be staying here." I started to get up.

"No!" Hotaru grabbed my shirt and held on desperately. "Please don't leave! Don't leave me!" He was pleading with me. I looked down at him and realized just how lonely he was, without any other living thing to keep him company. It reminded me of… well, me. When I was younger.

"…..Alright. I'll stay for tonight." I relented, sitting back down. Hotaru looked relieved and scrambled to his feet.

"I'm going to go get food!" He said enthusiastically, running off into the dark of the building. I blinked, and wondered what kind of food he'd be getting.

_Probably mushrooms or grass or something._ The thought made me snort. If he expected me to eat that, he was sorely mistaken.

10 minutes passed, then 20, then 40, and then an hour. I was fed up with waiting for him.

_I'll just leave now…. This way, I won't have to see his face when he realizes I'm gone._ I got up and winced; my entire body was sore. I stretched a few times and then looked around for an exit. There was none in the small, lighted area that I was in. I looked over at the dark that was the rest of the building and felt hesitant.

_**What's wrong, Marik…. You're our master, why are you afraid of us…..?**_

I started. Was that the shadows?... No, no. It couldn't be. I shook my head and forced myself to walk into the dark. While I didn't hear any more voices, I couldn't shake the feeling that the shadows were watching me. And it creeped me out.

"Where's the Ra-damned exit?" I muttered, trying to see. There was a small patch of light nearby; thinking that was it, I walked briskly in that direction. But as I drew nearer, I realized it wasn't an exit.

It was a small table, with a few lit and melting candles on it, casting a dim light on a few small picture frames. Curious, I came closer, and picked up the largest frame. In the low light, I could see 2 adults, hugging a young child that looked a lot like….

"That's my mama and daddy." Hotaru said quietly behind me. I jumped and looked back to see his eyes reflecting the light cast by the candles. He had a bag of food in his arms. "That was before they died…. When we were happy." I saw a glistening tear run down his cheek. It struck me how much this boy had loved his parents, and how much he missed them now. I wondered what it was like to have ever had parents to love you…. And I felt tears sting at my own eyes. Why did Ra forsake me like this?

"They were lucky to have such a good son." I said, managing to keep my voice level as I reached out and rested my hand on Hotaru's head. That brought a smile onto his face. "….So, what's in the bag?"

"Lunch." Hotaru took my hand and led me back over to the bed mat. We sat down and enjoyed the food that he brought; bread and peanut butter, fruit and juice boxes.

"How'd you get this food?" I asked, biting into an apple. Hotaru looked guilty and looked away, mumbling something about asking for it.

"….." I swallowed the apple that was in my mouth. "You stole it, didn't you?"

"No!" Hotaru yelled defensively.

"Hey." I snapped, grabbing his wrist so he'd look at me. I didn't realize how tightly I was grabbing. "Don't yell at me. I wasn't mad at you, was I?" Hotaru just stared at me with wide eyes, starting to shake slightly. I noticed this and released his wrist. "S-Sorry." I said, shamefaced as I saw his small wrist start to bruise up. "I wasn't mad at you though…."

"….. It's the only way I can get food." Hotaru whispered. "I can't earn money like grown-ups, and no one will give any to me…."

"…..Just don't get caught. A kid like you doesn't need to go to juvie." _Although, at least there he'd have a real bed and 3 meals a day._ I thought, keeping it to myself. Hotaru nodded obediently.

Later that night, Hotaru was drawing on some stolen paper with a very old set of crayons. I was leaning against the wall, staring up at the darkening ceiling. My thoughts began to wander to Ryou.

_Is he okay…? _I thought. _Is he dead? Is he wondering where I am? …_

_Does he even care about me?..._

…_..Probably not. _

I sighed heavily and looked over at Hotaru. A tiny smile crept onto my face as I saw that he was fast asleep, his cheek resting on the paper. I scooted over and picked him up, tucking him under the blankets of his bed mat. I then returned to my spot at the wall and looked up at the ceiling again.

…_..He probably doesn't ever want to see me again._ I thought, closing my eyes.


	19. Realization

Okay everyone, today's update with be—Da dada daaaaaaa—A Ryou part! :D Enjoy! And my kitty says to review!

"Good…" The doctor said, as I jogged briskly on the treadmill. A dozen sensors were attached to various parts of my body, to check my vital signs. "You're getting stronger, Ryou."

"Don't call my name so familiarly." I hissed, jogging faster. "You're not my friend, you're my doctor. Nothing more!"

"Ryou." Came Bakura's calming voice, from a corner of the room. "You're doing it again. You're not trying."

"I am too trying!" I said adamantly, attempting to stop and stamp my foot childishly while the treadmill was still rolling. This resulted in my legs being swept out from under me, and I crashed into the wall behind the stupid machine. "Ow…."

The doctor stifled a laugh, and I gave him a murderous look. I was annoyed that he didn't cower, but then I realized that I was probably the least threatening person on the planet. Bakura helped me to my feet and guided me back to the treadmill.

"I don't want to…." I whined, trying to dig my heels into the ground. "No more…"

"Ryou. Are you giving up this easily?"

My anger flared. "Don't play the guilt game with me, Bakura!" I shoved him away and ripped the sensors off. "If you think it's going to 'motivate' me, then you're dead wrong! I've bitten my tongue these last few weeks so much that it's bled! All because I thought you'd changed and that you really cared about me! But you don't! If you did, you wouldn't make me do this!" I turned to walk to the door to leave, but Bakura's cold hand gripped my wrist tightly.

"Ryou, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself." He said quietly. I could tell that his patience with me was running thin. "Stop thinking that the world revolves around you just because of what's happened. The world revolves around no man."

"I'M ENTITLED TO A LITTLE SELF PITY!" I shrieked, going to hit him. But before my fist even got near his face, I stopped myself. I wasn't going to hurt him. Something in my head wouldn't let me. I wrenched free of his grip and went over to a corner, sliding down into it and curling up into a ball of misery. "You should just leave me to die…. I'm so fucked up…. There's no way to fix me…." I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

Bakura came over to me and wrapped his arms around me. "There _is_ a way to fix you, Ryou…. But only if you _want_ to be fixed…. You have to put in the effort…. It's not going to be an overnight change."

"Why can't it be….?" I whispered. "I'm so sick of being this way….."

"Then change…" Bakura cupped my chin gently. "Make the change, Ryou…. Go back to the way you were…." He was coming closer…. I wanted to stop him, but my body seemed to be frozen, unable to move away.

_Don't kiss me…. Please don't kiss me!_ I thought frantically. The only person I'd ever want to be kissed by was…. Definitely not Bakura.

My silent pleas were for naught; Bakura's lips touched mine. I felt a shiver run down my spine, and it wasn't a good one. It felt as though something passed through me.

He pulled away after a moment, a glint in his eyes. A sense of foreboding came over me. He'd done something to me….

_What did you do to me, Bakura?_ Wait, why didn't I say that…?

_What's going on? Why can't I do anything? _

"Now, Ryou-chan…" Bakura helped me to my feet. I could only move when he beckoned me to. "Let's get back on the treadmill and get your strength up again."

Against my will, I returned to the machine and got on it. The doctor reattached the sensors and started it up again, at a brisk run. My legs moved on their own, as I screamed silently for help.

_He really doesn't want to help me…._ I realized. _He's just going to do what he wants with me again! _


	20. Death and Rebirth

And now, back to regularly scheduled Marik goodness. My kitty says to review, plz!

Roaring thunder woke me from my troubled sleep. Wind howled outside of the concrete building that I had called home for nearly a week. Hotaru was fast asleep beside me, undisturbed by the violent storm outside. I sat up and crawled over to the nearest window.

Outside, it was pitch black. Rain lashed against the glass, and as lightning flashed I saw that trees were bent horribly by the gale force winds. The resultant thunder startled me; it was so loud that I had to cover my ears.

I crawled away from the window and went over to a corner, cowering in it. In the time I'd spent with Hotaru, I had grown… kinder, in a way. My anger rarely showed its ugly head anymore. I considered the child my brother.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the building enough that I could see a figure before me. My blood turned cold as I saw lavender eyes reflecting the light.

"M-Malik…?" I whispered, shaking in fear. He stepped closer, a cynical smirk on his face. I tried to retreat further into the corner. "St-stay away from me! You ruined everything! This is all your fault!"

"_**My fault?"**_ Malik laughed coldly, in a voice melded with his own and that of the shadows. _**"You've got no one to blame but yourself. You're the one who gave into me. You're the one who gave me Ryou willingly. You let me take him from you."**_

"You threatened to turn me into the police!" Hot tears ran down my face.

"_**You should have gone. Ryou was loyal to you; he would have gotten you out."**_

"Y-You would have put me right back!"

"_**It's your fault, Marik."**_

"No! It's not my fault! You're—"

"_**Your fault, Marik…." **_

"It's not!" By this point, I was trying to convince myself that it really wasn't. Malik was right, and I knew it; but I didn't want to believe it. "It's not my fault!"

"_**Your fault…." **_Malik's body turned to smoke, disappearing. The last part that vanished was his face, which had a cold smirk lingering on it.

"H-Hey! Come back here!" I lunged at his vaporizing form, as if I could grab him and make him stay. "THIS ISN'T OVER! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN KILL YOU!"

I got no response to my screams. Infuriated, I got up and walked over to the small shrine that Hotaru had made for his parents. Looking scornfully down at the pictures, I felt my anger reignite.

"These should have been _my_ parents." I muttered to myself. Looking down at the happy family depicted in all of the photos, my face contorted with rage. In one fell swoop, I knocked all of the frames to the ground and watched them shatter. "This shouldn't be happening to me! I deserve better! RA CHEATED ME OUT OF A LIFE!"

I stormed back to where Hotaru was, ready to grab some food before I left. But something glinted on the floor, catching my eye. I turned my head to it.

Lying right where Malik had been standing, reflecting the now rapid flashes of lightning, was the Sennen Rod. My heart stopped, my entire being drawn towards the item. I realized that I had lost it; had the shadows returned it to me?

I approached it, and knelt down to pick it up. As my fingers wrapped around the cold metal shaft, I expected to feel my power return to me. But I felt nothing. This broke me, causing me to sob loudly. Tears began to streak down my face. I dropped to my knees and hugged the Rod close. Had I gone so far away from the shadows that not even the Rod could pull me back?

"Rishid?"

I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and I was startled, overcome by sudden fear. I forgot that I was not alone. Letting out a terrified scream, I unsheathed the Rod's blade and whipped around, slashing at whoever was behind me. A spray of blood covered me, and a gasp brought me back to my senses.

I was frozen as I saw Hotaru fall to the ground, his chest slashed open so deep that I could see his heart beating under his ribcage. I couldn't breathe; all I could do was watch as the boy's heart slowly ceased to move.

"….H….. Hotaru….." I whispered, starting to tremble. His lifeless body brought realization onto me; what had I done? "HOTARU!"

I was finally able to move; I scrambled over to him and lifted up his chilling body. "Hotaru! Wake up! Say something!" I begged. "Hotaru!"

There was no response. I looked down at his blank face for a moment, then sobbed quietly and picked him up.

Outside, the storm was dying down. The rain was ceasing, the wind was slowing. The lightning and thunder had all but disappeared. In the woods near the building that had been Hotaru's home for Ra knows how long, I dug him a shallow grave. Using my hands to sift aside the wet soil, I let the hot tears run down my face.

Finishing the grave, I picked up Hotaru's body gently. His face was so peaceful now… It was hard for me to believe he had died the way he did. I set him down gently in his resting place, and brushed his hair out of his face tenderly.

"….May Ra watch over you…." I whispered, starting to cover him up with dirt.

5 minutes later, I walked away from the covered hole, leaving a few hastily picked flowers as a peace offering to his soul. I was numb; how could I have taken away his life? He had cared for me like family….

And how could I have let Ryou be hurt by Malik? I was a fool…. I had to do something to get him back…. He was all I had left.

Stopping at the edge of the woods, I looked up at the sky. The moon was peeking through the parting clouds, casting its light onto me. I was overcome by its beauty.

"…..Ra, help me…." I begged. "Please, help me…. Help me, Ra!"


	21. Reunion

Hi everyone! I'm really in the mood for updating, so I'm going to put out another part! I think we need to get Ryou some more attention, and not just from you guys—from Marik-sama too! 3 And by the way, when this series comes to an end (yes, it's going to happen eventually), there will be…. *gasp* A sequel! Yes, it's true! I have the first few chapters planned out in my head. I think you'll all be happy with it when it comes out. So, that's something to look forward to. Anyways, enjoy! And of course, my kitty says to please review!

I laid in bed, my rear end sore from Bakura's brutal attacks on it. He slept soundly beside me, a satisfied look on his face. I felt tears come to my eyes for the umpteenth time. As soon as I was strong enough, Bakura had me discharged from the hospital. I was still under his control, the control of the Sennen Ring. I never even knew the Ring could control people.

Now, every night was a sex fest for Bakura. He could go for hours without climaxing; it hurt so bad that I couldn't even get a hard on. I was broken…. I missed Marik. I didn't know why, but I did. He was always on my mind.

Reaching up to scratch an itch on my nose, I realized that the Ring's spell over me was broken. I carefully got out of bed and limped to the door, ready to make my escape, when a quiet tapping on the door caught my attention.

I turned to catch a glimpse of a mess of sandy blonde spikes, and my heart leapt into my throat. Could it be…?

I rushed over to the window, being as quiet as I could and ignoring the searing pain coming from my behind. Yes, it was! There was no mistaking that hair, or those eyes! I slid open the window and stuck my head out into the cool night air.

"M-Master!" I whispered. Marik was perched on top of a ladder that was leaned against the outside of the house. It was quite romantic, actually, the whole situation. I was taken aback by his appearance, however. He was gaunt and dirty, and he looked emotionally drained.

"Ryou… I'm so glad you're okay…" He said gently. "I had to make sure…."

"What happened to you, Master…?" I asked, reaching out and cupping his face with my hand. "How did you find me?"

"I went to the hospital and asked about you. The doctors told me about how Bakura seemed to tame you, and I just had a feeling…." I noticed that the Rod was clenched in his hand.

"You've changed, Master…. You're not angry anymore."

"I am, actually…. But I realized that if I kept letting my anger control me, then I would keep hurting anyone that came close to me." There was a haunted look in his eyes that tore at my heart.

"What happened-?" I began to ask, but Marik gently put his finger against my lips, quieting me.

"Now's not the time. I need to get you out of here."

My heart soared. I was going to be free of Bakura…. It was almost like when Marik and I first met, only I wasn't running away naked, and Marik wasn't a cruel man. He was a man I could love… That I _would_ love, once I was out of Bakura's grasp.

He helped me out of the window and held me with one arm; the other arm he used to climb down the ladder. I held on tightly to his shirt, not caring that it was filthy and blood spattered. I noticed that he was breathing hard, and shaking and burning up as well.

"Master, you're not well…" I said softly.

"I'll be fine until we get somewhere safe." He said, carrying me bridal style now.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to someone I can trust. Someone who hasn't judged me in my entire life."

This didn't really answer my question, but I didn't inquire further. Resting my head against his chest, I took comfort in listening to his heart beat.

"Has Bakura been raping you, Ryou?" Marik asked after a few minutes. Hearing him ask made me feel filthy, like I had when Malik had his way with me.

"Y-Yes…" I mumbled, my chin wobbling and my voice trembling. "I-I couldn't do anything to stop him…."

"Shhh…." Marik stopped and pet my hair soothingly. "Don't cry…. It's not your fault. Nothing that's happened to you has been your fault…."

His voice was so gentle and melodic…. I sniffled a little, managing to keep my tears from coming. It was going to take some getting used to, being treated so nicely.

_But Bakura treated me nicely, before he started using me…._ I reminded myself. _I can't just let someone into my heart so easily….._

_But…. Marik has done so much for me, even if he __**has**__ hurt me so much…. He deserves a second chance….._

"Ryou?"

I blinked, looking up at Marik. I noticed that we were in front of a house. This confused me.

"You were starting to nod off there…. We're here."

"Here….?" I asked, as he knocked on the door.

"I'm going to warn you now…. She's going to be grouchy since we woke her up."

"She?"

"**WHO THE HELL IS KNOCKING AT 2 IN THE FUCKING MORNING?**"

I nearly pissed myself from fear. It sounded like some sort of Duel Monster. As I clung to Marik, staring at the door in fear, pounding footsteps came towards it.

"A-Are we safe?" I whispered.

"You will be." Marik answered. "I'm probably going to get my ass kicked."

"Huh?"

The door crashed open, and I screamed.

"**WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?" **The monster was a woman, tall and tan much like Marik's. She wore a linen dress, her black hair pulled into a bun. Around her neck was a necklace with the eye of Horus.

"Hello, Ishizu." Marik said calmly. The woman looked at him, then did a double take.

"Marik?" She exclaimed, rubbing her eyes. She came closer and pinched his cheeks, stretching his face as though seeing if he was real. "Oh my Ra, it's you! **WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?**"

"Can we do this inside?" Marik asked in a pained voice.

"Shut up and get your ass in the house!" Ishizu got behind him and pushed us both inside. "You've got a **LOT** of explaining to do, mister!"

"Yeah yeah, I know…" Marik sounded ready to drop from exhaustion. I swallowed and decided to speak up.

"U-Uhm, excuse me miss…." Ishizu looked over Marik's shoulder at me, looking surprised. "C-Could we maybe yell at each other in the morning? Mast—Marik's sick, and he needs rest."

"….**OH MY RA, YOU'RE SO CUTE!**"

The next thing I knew, my face was being smothered between a pair of D-cup breasts. I flailed my arms, trying to get free.

"Marik, where did you find him?" Ishizu looked at Marik, who I knew was trying not to laugh.

"Let's just say we met under dire circumstances. Now seriously, can we go to bed and talk in the morning? Both of us have been through a lot."

"Oh, fine." Ishizu released me, and I clung to Marik, gasping in air.

"I saw death in there!" I whispered, traumatized. Marik chuckled and picked me up.

"I'll just go to my old room then. See you in the morning, Ishizu." Marik started walking up a flight of stairs. I looked over his shoulder at Ishizu, who waved and blew a kiss at me.

"…..I think she's hitting on me." I said, devastated.

"That wouldn't surprise me." Marik coughed, and I forgot all about Ishizu. I put my hand on his forehead.

"Ah, you're burning up!" I flailed my arms in a panic.

"I'll be fine. I just need some sleep." He stopped in front of a door and opened it. "….Wow, I forgot what my tastes were as a kid." He said, looking embarrassed. I looked into the room and felt my jaw drop.

Marik's room looked like it belonged to a little girl, not a boy. Everything was pink and fluffy, and there were posters of actors from America plastered everywhere.

"…..This was _your_ room?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Yeah…." Marik's face was red; whether it was from embarrassment or fever, I couldn't tell. "It'll have to do for tonight…." He carried me inside and set me on the fluffy bed (which was made in the shape of a heart). I tugged on his shirt, trying to get him to lay down. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom to brush my teeth." He assured me, and went through a door which I assumed led to the bathroom.

After a few seconds I crawled up to the soft pillows and picked one up. Hugging it, I noticed that it smelled like Marik.

_So he's always had this incredible scent…._I thought, burying my face in the pillow. I could have gotten drunk off of it, if Marik hadn't come out of the bathroom at that moment. I lifted my face from the pillow and blushed when I saw he was shirtless.

"I don't have any pajamas that would fit either of us, so we'll just have to sleep shirtless tonight." He came over and sat on the edge of the bed, coughing again.

"Lay down, please." I begged, growing increasingly worried for him.

"I will, once you're laid down and comfortable." He gave me a tired smile, and my face flushed. He looked so cute when he smiled….

"Okay…." I pulled off my shirt embarrassedly. He took it from me and tossed it in a hamper.

"We'll be sure to burn that and get you some new clothes." He said, tucking me in once I was laid down.

"Lay down…" I urged, stifling a yawn. His bed was very comfortable….

"I will. I just need to make up a bed on the floor."

"What're you talking about….? Aren't you going to lay with me…?"

Marik seemed surprised by my assumption that he would sleep with me. "I-I didn't think you'd be comfortable with that."

"Normally, I wouldn't be…." I admitted. "But…. You woo'd me tonight…. So you should get to sleep in your own bed….." I was fighting to stay awake at this point.

Marik chuckled after a minute. "Alright, alright." He climbed up onto the bed and got under the covers with me. "Are you _sure_ you're okay with this?" He asked, wrapping an arm around me. I nodded and rested my head on his chest.

"Good night, Master…."

I felt his lips touch my forehead.

"Good night, Ryou."

Awww, so we finally got to have some fluff! w I hope you guys enjoyed getting to see those two be nice to each other. I sure enjoyed writing it~ See you next part!


	22. Rhymes and Luv

Good morning, everyone! I'm writing this when I should be getting ready for school. ^^ I'm just in that good of a mood. I hope everyone's enjoying the story, and I think we're going to continue the fluff for another chapter or two. Because hey, Ryou and Marik need love time, right? Am I right?... Right. Anyway, enjoy! Kitty says to REVIEW PLZ!

~*~*Marik's POV*~*~

I slowly woke late the next morning, my head pounding and my throat dry. "Ugh…. Just great…." I groaned. My nose was stuffed up as well.

"Good morning, Master~" Ryou said, sitting on top of me and leaning over me. I looked up at him and blushed bright red. Our faces were very close. "How're you feeling?"

"U-Uhm…." I stammered, momentarily unable to form cognitive words. Ryou pressed his forehead lightly against mine, checking my temperature.

"Owww…" He sat back up and crossed his arms. "You're still burning up."

"I-I'm sure that all I need is some sleep." I stuttered, rolling over quickly and causing him to fall off of me and the bed. I hid under the blankets, curling up into a ball.

"Hey!" Ryou stood up, miffed. "Fine, I see how it is." He turned and walked into the bathroom.

_Ra, that was close…._ I thought. _He was so cute I thought I'd get a hard on…._ I sighed and snuggled into the bed, closing my eyes.

Just as I was falling back asleep, I was tackled to the other side of the bed. "AUGH!"

"Did you miss me?" Ryou asked with a grin, snuggling into me.

"I didn't have time to miss you!"

"What's with all the yelling in here?" Ishizu demanded, kicking open my door and knocking it right off of its hinges.

"Hey! That was my door!" I was sure my expression resembled something like this:

"That doesn't matter. Why are you two yelling?"

"Marik's sick." Ryou hid his face in my chest, trying to hide from her.

"Hey, don't use me to hide from her!" I tried to pry him away, but to no avail. I groaned and started coughing.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Ryou stopped being cute and cupped my face, obviously worried.

"I-I'm fine." I said, managing to stop the coughs. Ryou crawled behind me and wrapped his arms around my body in a gentle embrace.

"You need rest…" The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. It was as if me getting better was the most important thing in the world to him right now.

"….Alright…" I conceded. I leaned a little against him, letting his body warm mine. The feeling of our bare chests against each other caused me to shiver again, this time in pleasure.

_Is this what it feels like to be intimate….?_ I wondered. Ryou brought his hand up and ran his fingers through my spikey hair.

"Mm…." I closed my eyes slowly, completely forgetting that Ishizu was still standing in the doorway.

"**If you guys start having sex here, I'm kicking you out.**" Ishizu warned in a deadly voice that oddly didn't affect me.

"Let me sleep in peace…" I mumbled, snuggling closer into Ryou's warmth.

_Mm… he smells like coconut…._ The aroma was divine, my favorite scent of all time…. Heheh, I made a rhyme….. Hey, that rhymed too! I started to laugh out loud, not realizing how delirious my fever was making me.

"Shhh…" Ryou's voice brought me back to my senses. "Time for you to go back to sleep."

"Yes, mommy…" I said in a little kid voice. I was reminded of Hotaru, and felt tears well up in my eyes.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" Ryou tilted my face up to look at him. "Why are you crying…?"

"…. I-I killed m-my little brother!" I started to sob like a little kid. Ryou looked bewildered but hastened to comfort me.

"I'll ask again when you're better…" He peered into my eyes, his small, soft hand cupping my face. "Is there anything I can get you…?"

"….." I nodded with a sniffle.

"What, then?"

"Closer…"

"Huh?"

"Come closer…."

Ryou leaned his face in closer, and I leaned up quickly, capturing his pale pink lips in a kiss. I don't know what compelled me to, but I knew that it was long overdue…. Hey, another rhyme….

Ryou's eyes widened; he was obviously confused and surprised. For a second, I was worried that he wasn't interested in me like that. But after a moment or two, he wrapped his arms tighter around me and tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

_Oh dear Ra…. This must be the glorious afterlife!_


	23. Cuteness All Around

~ _ ~ _ ~Marik's POV~ _ ~ _ ~

"A-a-aaaaAACHOOO!" Ryou sneezed, huddling under the Snuggie that Ishizu had given him. He sniffled and blew his nose in a tissue, tossing it in the trash that was set by us.

"You brought this onto yourself." I snickered, coughing into my blanket. I was lying on my bed; Ryou was stubbornly sitting beside my bed in a chair.

"All I did was kiss you!" Ryou said indignantly, sticking his tongue out at me. "You liked it!"

"Indeed I did. But you shouldn't have kissed me when I was sick."

"Gah, there's no winning against you."

"Exactly." I smirked. "Be a dear and fluff my pillows, please."

Ryou rolled his eyes and reached over to fluff them, but instead he bit my ear.

"OW!" I whined, covering it with my hand. "What the hell was that for?"

Ryou smirked at me. "You were being mean."

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"**SHUT. UP. BOTH. OF. YOU.**" Ishizu warned, coming into the room with 2 bowls of chicken noodle soup. "Honestly, you two sound like a couple of 5 year olds with a crush on each other."

"…." Ryou and I looked at each other and hmph'd, turning our backs to each other. Ishizu rolled her eyes and set the soup on my bedside table.

"Grow up." She said, leaving.

"…..Ishizu's mean and scary." Ryou whimpered, crawling onto my bed in a search for comfort.

"Nah, that's just how she shows that she cares." I said, rolling onto my back and wrapping an arm around him. "Either that, or she's trying to woo you with an aggressive courting display." Ryou gagged, and I laughed, then coughed. "Alright, that's enough goofing around…." I reached for my bowl of soup. "Awww… Ishizu knows I hate the canned bullshit."

"Hm…." Ryou looked thoughtful. "…..Would you eat it if I fed it to you?"

"…Maybe…."

Ryou took that as a 'yes, please' and took the bowl from me. He straddled my waist, and I could feel my cheeks turn bright red against my tan.

"Wh-what're you doing?" I stuttered.

"Feeding you chicken noodle soup." Ryou said innocently, taking a spoonful of soup and holding it to my lips. "Say 'ahhh'."

His expression was so cute that I ended up saying 'awwwww,' but it had the same affect. Ryou fed me the spoonful, and I swallowed it after chewing for a moment.

"Is it any better than normal?" He asked sweetly.

"…Nope." Ryou's face fell. "But…. Because it's you, I'll keep eating."

Ryou's face lit up as fast as it had fell; he happily spoon fed me the entire bowl. Setting the empty dish back on the bedside table, I sighed and rested my head against the pillows, ready for a nap. My eyes slowly closed; the last thing I saw was Ryou still sitting on my lap, watching me with a smile.

But before I had a chance to fall asleep, I felt warm lips press against my own. My face heated up considerably, and a tingle traveled down my spine. God, Ryou's lips were soft….

Waking several hours later, I found myself sweaty and smelly. "Yech…." I grumbled, sitting up and realizing that Ryou had fallen asleep on top of me. "Silly Ryou…." Chuckling to myself, I laid him down beside me and tucked him in, then got up and walked to the bathroom for a shower.

"Master…?"

I stopped and looked back at the bed. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Ryou shook his head, rubbing his eye. "No….. where're you going….?"

"Just to take a shower. I must be feverish because I'm all sweaty and gross." I turned back to the bathroom and put my hand on the doorknob to open it.

"Can I take one too…?"

I glanced over my shoulder at him. Ryou was sitting on his knees, still rubbing one of his eyes, looking at me curiously with the other.

_Oh my Ra…. There must be some law against being __**THAT**__ adorable! _I had to seriously concentrate to keep from getting a nosebleed.

"I-If you want." I managed to say, keeping my voice as level as possible. Ryou got out of bed and walked over to me, taking my hand as though we were going somewhere. I looked at him carefully; his pale porcelain face was flushed, and his chocolate brown eyes were glazed over.

_Poor thing…. He must be feeling pretty shitty…._

I led him into the bathroom and sat him on the toilet.

"Get undressed, and I'll turn on the shower." I told him, turning my back to him so I could start the water. After testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot or cold, I turned back to him—and my manhood nearly sprang to life of its own accord. Ryou was still sitting on the toilet, but by now he had stripped himself of his clothes.

_K-Keep it together, Marik! If you let your baser instincts take over now, you'll fuck up everything you've fixed!_

I swallowed hard and got undressed myself, trying not to look at Ryou.

"Wh-what's wrong, master…?" Ryou asked, looking at me worriedly. "Do you regret letting me join you…? I-I'll go back to bed…" He reached for his clothes.

"N-No, that's not it!" I grabbed his wrist gently to stop him. "I just….. Seeing you so vulnerable like this is…. It's too cute."

"… You think I'm cute….?" Ryou sounded surprised.

"Of course I do. You're the most adorable person in the world."

"….." Ryou hugged me, and the feeling of our bare bodies pressed against each other nearly made me lose it. "I love you master…."

"…." I wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Marik." I corrected. "Call me Marik….."

"I love you Marik….."

"I love you too, Ryou….."


	24. PLEASE READ not a story update

Hey hey hey everybody, guess who it is~

I'm terribly sorry for another months-long hiatus, but school is becoming increasingly overwhelming (especially my college prep class—according to my teacher, we're supposed to be studying for about 3 hours a day ._.)

However, I've decided to embark on a risky adventure with you guys. Every day, for 30 days, I will upload a one-shot of a random shipping. :D I can't guarantee how long they will be, but I will do my best to keep it interesting.

Also, I need feedback from you guys on my deathshipping story. No one reviewed the last part, so I thought you guys didn't like it. T_T

If you guys would like to request a shipping for the 30-day challenge, leave it (and hopefully a review on Abuse Still Hurts) in the comments section.

And remember: Mokie luvs you!


	25. Disaster

Hello everyone! I've been reading all of the comments that have been given for the story, and I have to say…. You guys are what really keeps me going. I wouldn't be writing this story if you guys didn't like it. And I apologize for taking such long breaks, it's just that things do come up and you can't really help that. But, I think you guys deserve an update to the story. So, here it is!

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_~_ Ryou's P.O.V_~_

_My eyes fluttered open slowly. My hands were chained above my head, and a cold breeze hit my skin and made goosebumps erupt on it. Was I outside…? What was going on…? I could hear laughter, cold and cynical and from many different people….. _

"_Are you finally awake?" _

_I shifted my gaze upward and screamed: Bakura was standing before me, dressed in a medieval executioner's robe that was splattered in blood. In his hand was a blunt ax, also with specks of the crimson liquid spattered on it. _

_Bakura laughed at my reaction. "You're so pathetic, Ryou! Look at you! Cowering like a woman!"_

"_Wh-what are you doing?" I whimpered, shaking uncontrollably. _

"_Oh, you can't figure it out? You're dumber than a dog." Bakura twirled the ax like a baton. "I'm going to chop you up." _

"_Chop him up! Chop him into little bits!" The crowd roared. I looked around me and saw that the crowd was made up of entirely Bakuras. _

"_Th-this has to be a dream!" I yelled, trying to struggle against the chains that held me. _

"_Oh, it's no dream, Ryou….." Bakura lifted up the ax. "It's a nightmare." He swung down. _

I let loose a bloodcurdling scream and thrashed around violently, still half-asleep and in the throes of the nightmare. A pair of strong yet gentle hands grabbed my arms.

"Ryou! Ryou, calm down! Wake up!"

Unable to move, I opened my eyes, afraid that the dream was real and that I would be looking straight at Bakura. But as my vision focused, I saw worried lavender eyes gazing at me and knew that it was…..

"M-Marik…." I went limp and started to sob; my heart was ready to burst from my chest, and I was drenched in a cold sweat. Marik pulled me into his lap and held me, enveloping my shaking frame in a warm embrace.

"Shhh….. it was just a dream…." He murmured into my ear. "Come on now, deep breaths….."

After what felt like forever, I began to calm down. The nightmare was slipping away; Marik continued to whisper comfortingly, calming me until I could breathe normally again. I hiccupped and wiped my eyes, looking up at him.

"… Are you okay?" I asked, suddenly worried for him. His usually bronzed face was taking on a sickly pale pallor, and his breath was shallow and quick.

"I'm fine…. It's just the damn cold…." He muttered. "Come on, let's get you washed up….." To his surprise, I got up and took his hand, leading him into the bathroom and sitting him on the toilet.

"Don't try to neglect yourself." I chided, waggling a finger at him. "What would I do if you got pneumonia and died?"

He blinked and looked up at me; I don't think he was fully there at the time. His eyes had a dull sheen to them. He was so sick, from taking care of me.

"….." I turned my back to him and began to run a cool bath, as hot guilt settled in the pit of my stomach. Why couldn't Marik have gotten better? Why did he have to be the one who was still so sick? "Come on, let's get you undressed…." I heard something hit the floor and turned. "MARIK!"

_~_ Marik's P.O.V._~_

Muffled and distorted voices were all I heard for a long time. I didn't hear any discernable words, just sounds, all running into each other. My body was too weak to do anything; I couldn't even muster enough strength to open my eyes. I had no idea what was going on. I felt like I was floating in air, drifting along with at the mercy of the wind.

"….._Marik….._" A gentle breeze brought along the first understandable word and distinguishable voice. "_….Marik….. wake up…_"

That voice was familiar….. but…. It wasn't _his…._ I forced my hand to move, to search for him…. Another hand grasped it; immediately I could tell Ryou wasn't by my side, wherever I was….

"_Come on, little brother…. Wake up for your sister….._"

"I….shizu…?" I breathed out.

"That's right…."

"W….where's…. Ryou….."

Her hand moved up and brushed my bangs from my sweaty face. "Just rest, Marik…. Rest….."

Mustering every ounce of strength I could, I moved my hand up and pushed hers away. "Where…. Is Ryou…." I muttered, putting a little more force behind my weak words.

"Don't worry about him, Marik….. you need to get better….. He realized that….."

"… Ishizu….. what…. Did you do to him….."

"Sleep, Marik….."

Against my will, I felt myself fading back into that realm of distorted voices. _Ryou…. Be strong…. I'll be home soon….._


	26. Ishizu's a Bitch!

"What the hell did you do, Ishizu?" I demanded, once I was well enough to sit up and to speak above a whisper.

"I don't know what you're talking about, baby brother." Ishizu said, busying herself with unpacking a bag of food she brought from home.

"Don't play stupid. You did _something!_ There's no way Ryou wouldn't be by my side right now!"

"Maybe he doesn't like you as much as you thought."

"…. Don't you dare say that, Ishizu. _Don't you dare._ For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy! Why did you have to go and fuck that up?"

"I didn't fuck anything up, Marik! I haven't even talked to Ryou since you were brought here!"

"Yeah, about that…. Why the fucking hell am I in a hospital in EGYPT?"

I had known that we had left the town of Domino when a group of tourists were rushed in suffering from heatstroke. After I had figured out where I was, my anger and suspicion grew until the breaking point. If I wasn't still bedridden, my hands would be at Ishizu's throat.

"Because the hospital at Domino couldn't give you the care you needed."

"Oh, so I'm expected to believe that an Egyptian hospital could. Cut the bullshit, Ishizu."

"Shut up, Marik and eat your damn lentils."

"FUCK YOUR FUCKING LENTILS!" I threw my blanket off and swung my legs over the side of the bed, shaking putting my legs on the ground. As far as I could tell, it had been a month since I'd stood.

"Marik, get back in bed right now!"

"Piss off, bitch! I'm going home!" I shoved her aside and walked to the door as a gurney was rushed past with a pale, white haired person on it. "….. Ryou?"

"Looks like another case of heat exhaustion." A paramedic informed the doctor rushing towards the gurney. A couple of nurses moved the patient onto a bed and put a curtain around them. I walked over and pushed a few people out of the way, pulling the curtain open to behold….

"M-Marik!" Ryou attempted to sit up. His porcelain face was flushed bright red and his clothes were saturated with sweat.

"Ryou!" I leaned down and hugged him tightly.

"Excuse me, sir!" The doctor tried pulling us apart. I hissed at him like a feral cat.

"What happened, Ryou?" I asked him, stroking his poor overheated head.

"W-Well…."

_-flashback—_

_Ishizu ran up to the bathroom. "What's wrong? What happened?" Ryou was cradling Marik, rocking him back and forth. _

"_H-He just passed out! H-He's extremely ill!"_

"_What? Why isn't he better?" _

"_I-I don't know... Call for an ambulance!" _

_Ishizu ran to the nearest phone and dialed 911. She came back and knelt beside Ryou, checking Marik's pulse. _

"…_. This is all your fault…" She whispered, giving Ryou a side glare. _

"_Wha-?"_

"_This is your damn fault! He was too fucking busy taking care of your sick ass!"_

"_B-Bu—" _

"_Shut your Ra-damned mouth!" Ishizu wrenched Marik from Ryou's arms and managed to lift him up. "You don't deserve to be with my little brother! You don't deserve anything but Bakura!" _

_-end flashback—_

"….. That fucking bitch…." I growled. I climbed onto the bed, sitting behind Ryou and pulling him against myself. "And you came all this way to find me…"

"Y-Yeah…" Ryou murmured weakly. "I-I didn't come very prepared th-though…. I-I didn't know where to look for you….."

"Well, you found me…." I stroked his hair slowly. "You! Doctor! Get over here and make him feel better!"

The doctor came over, looking baffled as he inserted an I.V. into Ryou's delicate arm. He hung a bag of something on the I.V. tree and hooked Ryou up to a bunch of monitors. I glanced over at one and saw that his temperature was at a dangerous 105 degrees.

"Shit, we gotta cool you down." I fanned him with my hand, hoping that it would help until the incompetent doctors could provide more adequate treatment. After awhile some nurses brought over bags of ice, packing them around Ryou. One grabbed a fan and water bottle and had Ryou get undressed down to his boxers, spraying him with water and putting the fan on him.

"Mmm…" Ryou closed his eyes. I kept stroking his hair, keeping a careful eye on him and his temperature.

After an hour or so, Ryou was down to 100 degrees. I removed the ice bags from around him and moved the fan closer, gently rocking him back and forth.

"How do you feel?" I asked gently.

"Better…." Ryou mumbled sleepily.

"MARIK!" Ishizu wrenched open the curtains isolating us. Ryou jumped and began to shake, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Ishizu, get the fuck away from us." I growled, holding Ryou protectively.

"Marik, get your ass back in your bed right now!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Ishizu looked startled and took a step back.

"I know what you fucking said to him! Why can't you let me be happy? You never wanted anything to do with me until Ryou came along! You can't have me! Not when you haven't done a Ra-damned thing to help me! You can go die in a hole for all I care!"

"….." Ishizu turned on her heel and walked away. I glared at her retreating form, breathing heavily from all the shouting.

"M-Marik…. C-calm down, please…." Ryou whimpered, putting his hands over mine.

"How dare she do this to me…." I growled, not hearing him. "She'll pay…. She'll fucking pay….."

"…"

I was brought out of my mutterings by a sniffling sound. "…Ryou?"

"I-It's all m-my fault…." His voice quivered and broke. "A-All of th-this i-is my f-fault…."

"Ryou, no… none of this is your fault…. Don't ever blame yourself…. Nothing has been or ever will be your fault….. Come on…. Let me see a smile…. I haven't seen one in weeks…."

"….." Ryou sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I-I can't smile r-right now…."

"…..Not even if I… tickled you? TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE!" I began an onslaught of tickling.

"A-Ahahahaheeheeheee! M-Marik, st-haha-stop!" Ryou squirmed, trying to avoid being tickled as his face lit up with giggles.

"Rawr!" I bit his ear playfully, wrapping my arms tightly around him. "Mine."

"A-All yours…." He said, catching his breath and leaning back against me. "All yours, forever…."


	27. A New Family Member?

-Ryou's P.O.V.—

"Here we go." Marik said, opening the door to our new house. "Only the best for you, Ryou."

My eyes widened as I gazed upon where I would be living. "…..It's a palace!"

"Pretty much." Marik wrapped his arms around me from behind. "You deserve to live like a king."

"…..Don't you mean a queen?" I asked. "I thought you were the king."

"Hmm…. Good point." Marik nuzzled the back of my neck. "My queen."

"Do I hear a bit of possessiveness in your voice?" I asked playfully.

"Maybe. OM NOM NOM!" Marik latched onto my neck like a sucker.

"H-Heeeeeey—Mm…." I melted against him as he suckled on my pale skin, eventually stopping to leave a deep, dark bruise.

"There we go." Marik picked me up.

"What was that for?" I asked with a pout, crossing my arms.

"I had to let everyone know you were taken."

"I'm pretty sure everyone would be able to figure it out."

"Some people are stupid though." Marik carried me upstairs. "Behold the glory that is our bedchamber."

"….." I jumped down from his arms and threw myself on the bed. "WATER BED!"

Marik laughed and walked over. "I thought you'd like it."

"I LOVE IT!" I rolled around on the squishy mattress gleefully. "LOVE LOVE LOVE—hello there?"

Marik had caught me while I was on my stomach, sitting on my back, he smirked down at me.

"Hello indeed."

"… Why do you have that look in your eyes?" I asked, looking back at him.

"Because I'm going to really make you my queen tonight." Marik reached down and slapped my ass. Immediately, the incident with Malik flashed before my eyes.

"N-No!" I tried to squirm out from under him. "No, I don't want to! I don't want to!"

"Why not, Ryou?" Marik sounded confused. "I thought you loved me…."

"I do! I just…. Don't you remember?"

"…..Remember what?"

"What Malik did! He raped me! How can you expect me to be open to this sort of thing?"

"Ryou…."

I buried my face in the blankets and began to cry. I was so afraid that Marik would either try to keep going with me, or that he would hate me for not wanting to give myself to him. I felt him get off of me and lifted my head up.

"M-Marik? Wh-where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk." Marik walked to the door and left.

"…" I sat up and looked down at the bed. "Wh-why….. why can't w-we just be happy….."

-Marik's P.O.V.-

I wandered around the streets of Domino, staring up at the sky as the sun set or down on the ground.

_How could I have forgotten that? _I thought, feeling shame create a lump in my throat. _Ryou must hate me….._

What could I do to make up for making him so upset? There must be _something…._

Oh great, whose screaming baby is that? I glared around, looking for the source of the annoying infantile shrieking, but saw no one nearby. The source of the cry was from a garbage can just a few feet away.

"…..No way."

I ran over to the can and pulled off the lid. Yes, the crying was coming from here. I dug through several layers of trash and caught my breath sharply: buried under some old banana peels and coffee grounds was a newborn baby.

_People are sick… SICK!_

I knelt down and gently picked up the child, brushing some more trash off of its body. "You poor thing….. I can't just leave you here….." I began to walk to the nearest fire station when a thought struck me.

_If me and Ryou were raising this kid…. Then we'd be too busy to try having sex! He wouldn't have to worry about it!_

At the time, I didn't realize how idiotic that plan was. But I was too wrapped up in trying to win Ryou's forgiveness.

"Don't you worry, little thing." I told the baby, taking off my shirt and wrapping it in it. "Daddy's going to take care of you."


	28. End of the End, and a New Beginning

…. It's funny how quickly things can change….. Just hours before, I was saying good-bye to Ryou so I could go look for a job….. We were going to take the baby to an adoption agency…..

And now….. now I lay in a pool of my own blood, feeling the hot crimson liquid spurting from the stab in my chest. I was unable to move; all I could do was watch as Ishizu plunged the blade from the Sennen Rod into Ryou's body over and over again… all I could hear was his shrieks of agony.

How did it come to this…?

Little had I known…. Ishizu had found Ryou while I was out…. She had bound him tightly with chains and forced him to watch, as she stabbed the baby in the back of the neck and then cut off its head. She would have killed Ryou quickly after, but I had just come home…. So she instead attacked me.

"_DIE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!_" She'd screamed, pinning me to the ground and stabbing me so hard in the chest the knife blade broke through my sternum. The pain was so intense then…. But now, I felt nothing….

"Rot in hell, both of you!" Ishizu spat, stabbing Ryou in the neck and standing up. Her entire being was spattered in blood; her eyes were deadened and her face contorted with hatred. She turned on her heel and fled, slamming the door behind her.

"R…Ryou…." I called weakly, reaching out to my dying lover. I could hear him gasping for breath; he was almost gone….

I forced myself to roll onto my stomach, dragging myself over to his body and laying beside him.

"…. I'm so sorry, Ryou….." I whispered, tears flooding my eyes. "I-I love you….."

"I-I…. l-love…. Y-you… too…." Ryou breathed out. I placed a gentle kiss on his face as he took his last breath.

…_.Are you happy, Ra?_ I thought, waiting for my end to come as well. _You couldn't let me be happy…. You couldn't let us be happy… _

Darkness was gathering in the corners of my vision; I was slowly drifting towards the edge. Would I go to heaven, with Ryou….?

_**No, Marik….. You are not going to heaven. **_

_Who said that….? _

_**Your end is not yet upon you….. **_

_Who's talking to me? Just let me die…._

_**You will not die. Your spirit will return to the past…. **_

_What…. What does that mean…. _

Darkness enveloped me; I felt my heart stop.

_I'm…. dead… Good-bye, Ryou… Forever…_


	29. Info About the Sequel

Alright everyone, we've finally reached the end of this story…. Sad, I know…. I was almost crying myself when I was writing the last chapter.

But never fear! I said there shall be a sequel, and there will be one!... But I have a dilemma.

I have no idea what to call the sequel.

I know exactly what's going to happen in it, but I'm at a loss for a title.

So I'm asking you guys!

I'll let you know a couple of things:

It's in Ancient Egypt (*gasp* SPOILERS)

There will be a lot of gore in it of course

Ryou is the Pharaoh's "pet"

So if you guys get any ideas for a good title, leave a review about it :3 Thank you~


End file.
